AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
EXECUTION
COPY
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
among
DYNEGY
INC.,
IEH
MERGER SUB LLC
and
IEP
MERGER SUB INC.
Dated as
of December 15, 2010
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
|
||
ARTICLE
I
|
||
THE
OFFER
|
||
1.1.
|
The
Offer
|
2
|
1.2.
|
Company
Action
|
6
|
1.3.
|
Directors
|
7
|
1.4.
|
Top-Up
Option
|
9
|
ARTICLE
II
|
||
THE
MERGER; CLOSING; EFFECTIVE TIME
|
||
2.1.
|
The
Merger
|
10
|
2.2.
|
Closing
|
10
|
2.3.
|
Effective
Time
|
10
|
ARTICLE
III
|
||
CERTIFICATE
OF INCORPORATION AND
|
||
BYLAWS
OF THE SURVIVING CORPORATION
|
||
3.1.
|
The
Certificate of Incorporation
|
11
|
3.2.
|
The
Bylaws
|
11
|
ARTICLE
IV
|
||
OFFICERS
AND DIRECTORS
|
||
OF
THE SURVIVING CORPORATION
|
||
4.1.
|
Directors
|
11
|
4.2.
|
Officers
|
11
|
ARTICLE
V
|
||
EFFECT
OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK;
|
||
EXCHANGE
OF CERTIFICATES
|
||
5.1.
|
Effect
on Capital Stock
|
12
|
5.2.
|
Exchange
of Certificates
|
13
|
-i-
5.3.
|
Treatment
of Stock Plans
|
16
|
5.4.
|
Adjustments
to Prevent Dilution
|
17
|
ARTICLE
VI
|
||
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
||
6.1.
|
Representations
and Warranties of the Company
|
17
|
6.2.
|
Representations
and Warranties of Parent and Merger Sub
|
40
|
ARTICLE
VII
|
||
COVENANTS
|
||
7.1.
|
Interim
Operations
|
45
|
7.2.
|
Acquisition
Proposals.
|
51
|
7.3.
|
SEC
Disclosure Filings; Information Supplied
|
55
|
7.4.
|
Approval
of Merger
|
55
|
7.5.
|
Filings;
Reasonable Best Efforts; Other Actions; Notification
|
57
|
7.6.
|
Access
and Reports
|
61
|
7.7.
|
[Reserved]
|
62
|
7.8.
|
Publicity
|
62
|
7.9.
|
Employee
Benefits
|
62
|
7.10.
|
Expenses
|
64
|
7.11.
|
Indemnification;
Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance
|
64
|
7.12.
|
Takeover
Statutes
|
66
|
7.13.
|
Parent
Ownership and Vote
|
66
|
7.14.
|
Financing
|
69
|
7.15.
|
Casualty
|
70
|
7.16.
|
Stockholder
Litigation
|
70
|
7.17.
|
Company
Financing
|
70
|
7.18.
|
FCPA
Matters
|
71
|
7.19.
|
Confidentiality
|
71
|
7.20.
|
Available
Funds
|
72
|
7.21.
|
Rights
Plan
|
72
|
ARTICLE
VIII
|
||
CONDITIONS
|
||
8.1.
|
Conditions
to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the Merger
|
72
|
8.2.
|
Conditions
to Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub
|
73
|
8.3.
|
Conditions
to Obligation of the Company
|
74
|
8.4.
|
Frustration
of Closing Conditions
|
74
|
-ii-
ARTICLE
IX
|
||
TERMINATION
|
||
9.1.
|
Termination
by Mutual Consent
|
74
|
9.2.
|
Termination
by Either Parent or the Company
|
75
|
9.3.
|
Termination
by the Company
|
75
|
9.4.
|
Termination
by Parent
|
76
|
9.5.
|
Effect
of Termination and Abandonment
|
78
|
ARTICLE
X
|
||
MISCELLANEOUS
AND GENERAL
|
||
10.1.
|
Survival
|
80
|
10.2.
|
Modification
or Amendment
|
80
|
10.3.
|
Waiver
of Conditions
|
80
|
10.4.
|
Counterparts
|
80
|
10.5.
|
GOVERNING
LAW AND VENUE; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL; SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE
|
81
|
10.6.
|
Notices
|
82
|
10.7.
|
Entire
Agreement
|
83
|
10.8.
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
84
|
10.9.
|
Obligations
of Parent and of the Company
|
84
|
10.10.
|
Transfer
Taxes
|
84
|
10.11.
|
Definitions
|
84
|
10.12.
|
Severability
|
84
|
10.13.
|
Interpretation;
Construction
|
85
|
10.14.
|
Assignment
|
85
|
Annex
A
|
Defined
Terms
|
A-1
|
Exhibit A
|
Tender
Offer Conditions
|
Ex.
A-1
|
Exhibit A-2
|
Continuing
Tender Offer Conditions
|
Ex.
A-2
|
Exhibit B
|
Form
of Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation
|
Ex.
B-1
|
-iii-
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF
MERGER
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER (hereinafter called this “Agreement”),
dated as of December 15, 2010, among Dynegy Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”),
IEH Merger Sub LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Parent”),
and IEP Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Parent (“Merger
Sub,” with the Company and Merger Sub sometimes being hereinafter
collectively referred to as the “Constituent
Corporations”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS,
on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, including Exhibit A, Parent has
agreed to commence (within the meaning of Rule 14d-2 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as
amended (the “Exchange
Act”)) a tender offer (as it may be amended from time to time in
accordance under this Agreement, the “Offer”)
to purchase all of the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the
Company (the “Common
Stock”), including the associated rights (the “Rights“,
and together with the shares of Common Stock, the “Shares”)
issued pursuant to the Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement, dated
as of November 22, 2010 and as amended on the date hereof (as it may be further
amended from time to time, the “Rights
Agreement”), between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as
Rights Agent, that are issued and outstanding, at a price of $5.50 per Share in
cash, net to the seller in cash but subject to any required withholding of Taxes
(such price as it may be amended from time to time in accordance with this
Agreement, the “Offer
Price”);
WHEREAS,
concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a
condition to the willingness of the Company to enter into this Agreement,
certain Affiliates of Parent have entered into a Support Agreement with the
Company (the “Support
Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and as a
condition to the willingness of the Company to enter into this Agreement, Icahn
Enterprises Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Guarantor”)
is entering into a guarantee (the “Guarantee”)
in favor of the Company pursuant to which the Guarantor is guaranteeing certain
obligations of Parent and Merger Sub arising prior to or at the Effective Time
(other than with respect to Section 7.11) in connection with this
Agreement;
WHEREAS,
the Board of Directors of the Company, acting upon the recommendation of a
special committee of the Board of Directors of the Company consisting only of
independent directors of the Company (the “Special
Committee”), has, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
herein, (i) determined that the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, including the Offer and the merger of Merger Sub with and into the
Company (the “Merger”),
are fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders,
(ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the Merger, and
(iii) recommended that the Company’s stockholders accept the Offer, tender
their Shares to Parent in the Offer and, to the extent applicable, adopt this
Agreement;
WHEREAS,
each of the sole member of Parent and the Board of Directors of Merger Sub has,
upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement,
unanimously (i) determined that the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, including the Offer and the Merger, are fair to and in the best
interests of it and its members or stockholders, as applicable, and
(ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby, including the Offer and the Merger; and
WHEREAS,
the Company, Parent and Merger Sub desire to make certain representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements in connection with this
Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the representations, warranties,
covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I
The
Offer
1.1. The Offer.
(a) Commencement. Provided
that this Agreement shall not have been terminated in accordance with Article
IX, Parent shall, as promptly as practicable (and, in any event, by 5:00
p.m. (New York City time) on December 22, 2010) commence, within the meaning of
Rule 14d-2 under the Exchange Act, the Offer to purchase all outstanding Shares
at the Offer Price. The obligations of Parent to accept for payment
and to pay for any Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer shall be subject to
only those conditions set forth in Exhibit A (the “Tender
Offer Conditions”). The Company agrees that no Shares held by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than any Shares held on behalf of
third parties) will be tendered pursuant to the Offer.
(b) Waiver of Tender Offer
Conditions. Parent expressly reserves the right from time to
time, in its sole discretion, to waive any Tender Offer Condition; provided that without
the prior written consent of the Company, Parent shall not, (i) decrease
the Offer Price or change the form of consideration payable in the Offer,
(ii) decrease the number of Shares sought to be purchased in the Offer,
(iii) amend, modify or waive satisfaction of the Minimum Condition or the
Regulatory Condition (each, as defined in Exhibit A),
(iv) impose additional conditions to the Offer or amend or modify any of
the Tender Offer Conditions in a manner adverse to holders of Shares (for the
avoidance of doubt, other than the Minimum Condition and the Regulatory
Condition, which shall not be amended, modified or waived without the prior
written consent of the Company), (v) accelerate the Expiration Date to any date
earlier than January 25, 2011, (vi) make any change in the Offer that would
require an extension or delay of the then-current Expiration Date (other than an
increase in the Offer Price), (vii) amend any other term of the Offer in a
manner adverse to holders of Shares or (viii) except as provided in Section
1.1(d), extend the then-current Expiration Date of the Offer.
-2-
(c) Securities
Filings. On the date of commencement of the Offer, Parent
shall (i) file or cause to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”)
a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with respect to the Offer filed under
cover of Schedule TO (together with all amendments and supplements thereto, the
“Schedule
TO”) and the related offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and summary
advertisement and other ancillary Offer documents and instruments pursuant to
which the Offer will be made (collectively, and including any supplements or
amendments thereto, the “Offer
Documents”) and (ii) cause the Offer Documents to be disseminated to
the holders of Shares as and to the extent required by the applicable federal
securities Laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder
(collectively, the “Securities
Laws”). The Company agrees to furnish to Parent all
information concerning the Company required by the Securities Laws to be set
forth in the Offer Documents. Parent, Merger Sub and the Company each
agrees promptly to correct any information provided by it for use in the Offer
Documents if and to the extent that it shall have become false or misleading in
any material respect, and Parent shall take all steps necessary to cause the
Schedule TO, as so corrected or supplemented, to be filed with the SEC and the
Offer Documents, as so corrected or supplemented, to be disseminated to holders
of Shares, in each case, as and to the extent required
by the Securities Laws. Parent will provide the Company a reasonable
opportunity to review and comment on the Offer Documents, and any amendments
thereto, before they are filed with the SEC or disseminated to the holders of
Shares. Parent shall respond as promptly as reasonably practicable to
any comments received from the SEC with respect to the Offer Documents and
provide copies of such comments to the Company promptly upon receipt and copies
of proposed responses to the Company a reasonable time prior to filing or
dissemination to allow for meaningful comment by the Company.
(d) Expiration and Extension of
the Offer. The Offer shall initially be scheduled to expire at
midnight (Eastern time) on the later of (x) the 20th
business day following the commencement of the Offer and (y) January 25,
2011 (the initial expiration date, or such subsequent date to which the
expiration of the Offer is extended pursuant to and in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement, the “Expiration
Date”), and Parent shall not terminate or withdraw the Offer other than
in connection with the effective termination of this Agreement in accordance
with Article IX or pursuant to Section 1.1(f). Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Parent may, without receiving the consent of the Company,
(i) extend the Expiration Date for any period required by the Securities
Laws or the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”)
applicable to the Offer (it being agreed and understood that if Parent increases
the Offer Price, it shall be required to extend the Expiration Date for the
minimum period required under the Securities Laws) or (ii) elect to provide
a subsequent offering period for the Offer in accordance with Rule 14d-11 under
the Exchange Act; provided that, in
accordance with Rule 14d-11 under the Exchange Act, Parent shall immediately
accept for payment and promptly (and in any event within three (3) business
days) pay for all Shares tendered during any such subsequent offering
period. In addition, Parent shall, if requested by the Company, make
available a subsequent offering period for the Offer in accordance with Rule
14d-11 under the Exchange Act; provided, that Parent
shall not be required to make available such subsequent offering period in the
event that, prior to the commencement of such subsequent offering period, Parent
then holds of record more than 90% of the outstanding Shares. So long
as this Agreement has not been terminated pursuant to Article IX or the Offer
has not been terminated pursuant to Section 1.1(f) (and subject to each party’s
rights to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Article IX), if at any scheduled
Expiration Date, the Tender Offer Conditions shall not have been satisfied or
earlier waived, Parent shall extend the Offer and the Expiration Date to a date
that is not more than five (5) business days after such previously scheduled
Expiration Date; provided, however, that Parent
shall not be required to extend the Offer and the Expiration Date to a date
later than the Termination Date. Nothing contained herein shall limit
or otherwise affect the Company’s right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to
Sections 9.2 and 9.3 in accordance with the terms thereof. For
purposes of this Agreement, the term “business
day” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 14d-1(g)(3)
under the Exchange Act.
-3-
(e) Offer
Closing. Subject solely to the satisfaction or waiver by
Parent in accordance with Section 1.1(b) hereof of the Tender Offer
Conditions, Parent shall, as soon as possible after the expiration of the Offer
(and in any event within three (3) business days), accept for payment and pay
for all Shares validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offer (the
time at which immediately available funds are irrevocably deposited by Parent
with the depositary for payment for all Shares in an amount sufficient to pay
the aggregate Offer Price for all Shares validly tendered and not withdrawn
pursuant to the Offer (excluding Shares validly tendered pursuant to a
subsequent offering period in accordance with Rule 14d-11 under the Exchange
Act) being referred to as the “Offer
Closing”). The date on which the Offer Closing occurs is
referred to in this Agreement as the “Offer
Closing Date”. Parent shall have on a timely basis the cash
necessary to purchase any Shares that Parent becomes obligated to purchase
pursuant to the Offer in order to consummate the Offer Closing.
(f) Offer
Termination. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to a
Tender Termination or if this Agreement has been duly adopted by holders of
Shares constituting the Company Requisite Vote in accordance with applicable Law
and the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Company, Parent shall
promptly (and in any event within one (1) business day of such termination or
adoption, as applicable), irrevocably and unconditionally terminate the
Offer. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to a Tender
Termination prior to the purchase of Shares in the Offer, Parent shall promptly
return, and shall cause any depositary
acting on behalf of Parent to return, in accordance with applicable Law, all
tendered Shares to the registered holders thereof. A “Tender
Termination” is a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section
9.3(a) in connection with a Subsequent Transaction, Section 9.1, Section 9.3(b),
Section 9.3(c)(i), Section 9.3(d), Section 9.4(c) or Section 9.4(d). The Parties
hereto acknowledge and agree that if the Offer is terminated as a result of the
adoption of this Agreement by holders of Shares constituting the Company
Requisite Vote, such termination shall not give rise to a right of termination
of this Agreement except to the extent expressly provided for in Article IX and
that, absent such termination of this Agreement, the obligations of the Parties
hereunder other than those related to the Offer shall continue to remain in
effect, including those obligations with respect to the Merger.
-4-
(g) Withholding. Parent
shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise
payable pursuant to the Offer to any holder of Shares such amounts as Parent is
required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”),
or any other applicable state, local or foreign Tax Law. To the
extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate Taxing
authority by Parent, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of
the Agreement as having been paid to the holder of the Shares in respect of
which such deduction and withholding was made by Parent.
(h) Continuation of
Offer. Unless this Agreement is terminated pursuant to a
Tender Termination, in which event the Offer shall be terminated by Parent in
accordance with Section 1.1(f)), Parent shall not be required to terminate the
Offer in connection with a termination of this Agreement if and only if, (1) the
Offer has not been terminated prior to the date of termination of this
Agreement, (2) the Offer, including any extensions thereof, does not have an
expiration date later than September 15, 2011 (it being agreed and understood
that Parent may not amend, modify or waive any terms or conditions of the Offer
which would require Parent to extend the expiration date of the Offer to any
date later than the September 15, 2011 under the Securities Laws or the
rules and regulations of the NYSE), (3) the only conditions to the obligations
of Parent to accept for payment and to pay for Shares validly tendered and not
withdrawn pursuant to the Offer shall be the conditions set forth in Exhibit A-2
hereto (the “Continuing
Conditions”), and Parent shall not amend, modify or waive satisfaction of
the Continuing Minimum Condition (as defined in Exhibit A-2) or
impose additional conditions to the Offer (it being agreed and understood that
Parent shall be permitted to amend the Tender Offer Conditions in order to
provide that the Continuing Offer shall only be subject to Continuing
Conditions), (4) Parent provides the Company with an irrevocable commitment to
comply with clauses (iv) and (v) of the definition of “Qualifying Offer”, as
defined in the Rights Agreement and (5) Parent has available to it cash, cash
equivalents or readily marketable securities available to it throughout the
Offer in an amount sufficient to pay the aggregate Offer Price and other
consideration required to be paid to satisfy its obligations under the preceding
clause (4) (an Offer that is outstanding at, and remains outstanding after, the
termination of this Agreement (other than pursuant to a Tender Termination) and
that satisfies each of clauses (1) through (5), a “Continuing
Offer”). Notwithstanding any continuation of the Offer by
Parent following the termination of this Agreement in accordance with the
preceding sentence, following the termination of this Agreement, (x) Parent
shall not be permitted to include the Company Recommendation in the Offer
Documents, and (y) the Board of Directors of the Company shall have no
obligation under this Agreement to recommend holders of Shares tender any of
their Shares into and/or accept the Offer and shall be expressly permitted to
recommend holders of Shares not tender any of their Shares into and/or accept
the Offer with no liability of the Company to Parent, Merger Sub or any other
Affiliate of Parent.
-5-
1.2.
Company
Action.
(a) Schedule
14D-9. The Company shall, after affording Parent a reasonable
opportunity to review and comment thereon, file with the SEC, as promptly as
practicable after the filing by Parent of the Offer Documents (and in any event
within ten (10) business days following such filing), a
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the
Offer (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, and including the
exhibits thereto, the “Schedule 14D-9”),
which shall, subject to Section 7.2(e) and Section 1.1(h), include the Company
Recommendation with respect to the Offer and the Fairness Opinions, and shall
disseminate the Schedule 14D-9 to holders of Shares, in each case, as and
to the extent required by the Securities Laws. Subject to Section
7.2(e) and Section 1.1(h), the Company hereby consents to the inclusion in the
Offer Documents of the Company Recommendation. The Company
agrees promptly to correct the Schedule 14D-9 if and to the extent that it
shall become false or misleading in any material respect (and each of Parent and
Merger Sub, with respect to written information supplied by it specifically for
use in the Schedule 14D-9, shall promptly notify the Company of any
required corrections of such information and cooperate with the Company with
respect to correcting such information) and to supplement the information
contained in the Schedule 14D-9 to include any information that shall
become necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and the Company shall
cause the Schedule 14D-9 as so corrected to be filed with the SEC and
disseminated to the Company’s stockholders as and to the extent required by the
Securities Laws. Parent and its counsel shall be given a reasonable
opportunity to review and comment on the Schedule 14D-9 and any amendments
thereto before they are filed with the SEC or disseminated to the holders of
Shares. The Company shall respond as promptly as reasonably
practicable to any comments received from the SEC with respect to the
Schedule 14D-9 and provide copies of such comments to Parent promptly upon
receipt and copies of proposed responses to Parent a reasonable time prior to
filing or dissemination to allow for meaningful comment by
Parent.
(b) Stockholder
Information. In connection with the Offer, promptly following
the date of this Agreement, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished
to Parent mailing labels containing the names and addresses of all record
holders of Shares, a non-objecting beneficial owners list and security position
listings of Shares held in stock depositories, each as of a recent date, and
shall reasonably promptly furnish Parent with such additional information,
including updated lists of stockholders, mailing labels, security position
listings and computer files, and such other information and assistance as Parent
or its agents may reasonably request for the purpose of communicating the Offer
to the record and beneficial holders of Shares. Subject to the
requirements of applicable Law, and except for such steps as are necessary to
disseminate the Offer Documents and any other documents necessary to consummate
the Offer and the Merger, Parent and Merger Sub and their agents (i) shall hold
in confidence the information contained in any such labels, listings and files,
will use such information only in connection with the Offer and the Merger and,
if this Agreement shall be terminated the Continuing Offer, and (ii) following
the earlier of a Tender Termination or the expiration of the Continuing Offer
will, upon request of the Company, deliver or destroy, and will use their
reasonable best efforts to cause their agents to deliver or destroy, to the
Company all copies of such information then in their possession or
control.
-6-
1.3. Directors.
(a) Composition of Company Board
and Board Committees. Promptly upon the purchase of, and
payment for, any Shares by Parent pursuant to the Offer which represent at least
such number of Shares as shall satisfy the Minimum Condition, and at all times
thereafter, Parent shall be entitled to elect or designate such number of
directors, rounded up to the next whole number, to the Board of Directors of the
Company as will give Parent, subject to compliance with Section 14(f) of
the Exchange Act and Rule 14f-1 promulgated thereunder, representation on the
Board of Directors of the Company equal to at least that number of directors
which equals the product of the total number of directors on the Board of
Directors of the Company (giving effect to the directors appointed or elected
pursuant to this sentence) multiplied by the percentage that the aggregate
number of Shares beneficially owned by Parent, any Subsidiary of Parent and the
Support Parties (including for purposes of this Section 1.3(a) such Shares as
are accepted for payment and paid for pursuant to the Offer and Shares that are
subject to options to purchase Shares to the extent such options have been
irrevocably exercised and paid for by Parent, any Subsidiary of Parent or any
Support Party) bears to the total number of Shares outstanding on a fully
diluted basis (assuming the issuance of all shares of Common Stock that may be
issued upon the vesting of outstanding shares of Company Restricted Stock (as
defined in Section 6.1(b)), plus shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
exercise of all outstanding Company Stock Options, warrants and other rights to
purchase shares of Common Stock with an exercise price per share less than the
Offer Price; provided, however, that, in the
event that Parent’s designees are appointed or elected to the Board of Directors
of the Company, then until the Effective Time, the Company and Parent shall use
reasonable best efforts to (a) cause at least three members of the Board of
Directors of the Company on the date of this Agreement (the “Existing
Directors”), who are neither officers of the Company nor designees,
stockholders, affiliates or associates (within the meaning of the Securities
Laws) of Parent and who will be independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 under the
Exchange Act (one or more of such directors, the “Independent
Directors”) to remain as directors, with the three Independent Directors
to be selected by a majority vote of the Existing Directors and (b) to
designate a committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Independent
Director Committee”) and to continue the existence of such Independent
Director Committee until the Effective Time, which shall be comprised solely of
such Independent Directors and which shall, subject to applicable Law, be
delegated all power, right and authority of the Board of Directors of the
Company with respect to the Independent Director Committee Actions; provided further, that if at
any time there are in office fewer than three (3) Independent Directors, the
Board of Directors of the Company will take all action necessary to cause a
person or, if there are two (2) vacancies, two (2) persons designated by the
remaining Independent Director(s) to fill such vacancy(ies) who shall be neither
an officer of the Company nor a designee, stockholder, affiliate or associate of
Parent and who will be independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange
Act, and each such person shall be appointed to the Independent Director
Committee and deemed to be an Independent Director for purposes of this
Agreement, or, if no Independent Directors remain, the other directors shall
designate three (3) persons to fill the vacancies who shall be neither an
officer of the Company nor a designee, stockholder, affiliate or associate of
Parent and who will be independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange
Act, and each such person shall be appointed to the Independent Director
Committee and deemed to be an Independent Director for purposes of this
Agreement. At each such time, the Company will, subject to any
limitations imposed by applicable Laws (including, without limitation, the NYSE
rules and regulations), also cause each committee of the Board of Directors of
the Company (other than the Independent Director Committee) to include persons
designated by Parent constituting at least the same percentage of each such
committee as Parent’s designees constitute on the Board of Directors of the
Company. The Company shall, upon request by Parent, subject to the
Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, promptly increase the size of
the Board of Directors of the Company or exercise its best efforts to secure the
resignations of such number of directors as is necessary to enable Parent’s
designees to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance
with the terms of this Section 1.3(a) and shall cause Parent’s designees to be
so elected. Subject to applicable Laws, the Company shall promptly
take all action necessary pursuant to Section 14(f) of the Exchange Act and
Rule 14f-1 promulgated thereunder in order to fulfill its obligations under this
Section 1.3(a). Parent will supply the Company any information with
respect to itself and its nominees, officers, directors and affiliates required
by Section 14(f) and Rule 14f-1.
-7-
(b) Required Approvals of
Independent Director Committee. Notwithstanding anything in
this Agreement to the contrary, following the time directors designated by
Parent are elected or appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company and
prior to the Effective Time, the approval of the Independent Director Committee,
by a majority vote of its members, shall be required (i) to amend or terminate
this Agreement, (ii) to waive or elect to enforce any of the Company’s rights or
remedies under this Agreement (it being agreed that the approval of the
Independent Director Committee, by a majority vote of its members, shall be the
only approval of the Board of Directors of the Company necessary to enforce the
obligations of Parent and Merger Sub pursuant to this Agreement and the
Company’s other rights and remedies hereunder), (iii) to extend the time for the
performance of any of the obligations or other acts of Parent or Merger Sub,
(iv) to take any other action by the Company in connection with this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, (v) to authorize any
amendments to the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company in a
manner adverse to the holders of Shares, or (vi) to cease the Company’s
compliance with the continuing listing requirements of the NYSE. The
Independent Director Committee shall have the authority to retain counsel (which
may include current counsel to the Company) and other advisors at the reasonable
expense of the Company as determined appropriate by the Independent Director
Committee for the purpose of fulfilling its obligations hereunder and shall have
the authority, after the Offer Closing, to institute any action on behalf of the
Company to enforce the performance of this Agreement in accordance with its
terms (such authority, together with the matters that require the approval of
the Independent Director Committee described in the first sentence of this
Section 1.3(b), being referred to as the “Independent
Director Committee Actions”).
(c)
Section 14 of
the Exchange Act. The Company shall mail to the holders of
Shares an information statement containing the information required by Section
14(f) of the Exchange Act and Rule 14f-1 thereunder (the “Information
Statement”), and the Company agrees to make such mailing concurrently
with the mailing of the Schedule 14D-9 (provided that Parent and Merger Sub
shall have provided to the Company on a timely basis all information required to
be included in the Information Statement with respect to such designees and with
respect to Parent’s officers, directors and Affiliates).
(d) Effects on Continued
Listing. Following the Offer Closing, the Company shall, upon
Parent’s request, take all action reasonably necessary to elect to be treated as
a “controlled company” as defined by Rule 303A of the New York Stock Exchange
Listed Company Manual.
-8-
1.4. Top-Up
Option.
(a) Top-Up Option
Grant. The Company hereby grants to Parent an irrevocable
option (the “Top-Up
Option”) to purchase that number of Shares (the “Top-Up
Option Shares”) equal to the lowest number of Shares that, when added to
the number of Shares owned by Parent at the time of such exercise, shall
constitute one Share more than the number of Shares necessary for Merger Sub to
be merged into the Company without a vote or consent of stockholders of the
Company in accordance with Section 253 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law (the “DGCL”),
at a price per Share equal to the Offer Price.
(b) Exercise of
Top-Up. The Top-Up Option shall only be exercisable once in
whole and not in part within ten (10) business days after the date on which
Parent accepts for payment and pays for Shares pursuant to the Offer, or such
later date as any subsequent offering period for the Offer as provided for under
Section 1.1(d) may expire (the “Purchase
Date”); provided, however, that
notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Top-Up Option
shall not be exercisable and shall terminate on the Purchase Date if the number
of Top-Up Option Shares would exceed the number of authorized but unissued
Shares; and, provided, further, that the
Top-Up Option shall terminate concurrently with the termination of this
Agreement in accordance with its terms or upon any termination of the Offer
pursuant to Section 1.1(f).
(c) Top-Up
Closing. In the event Parent wishes to exercise the Top-Up
Option, Parent shall so notify the Company in writing, and shall set forth in
such notice (i) the number of Shares owned by Parent immediately preceding
the purchase of the Top-Up Option Shares and (ii) the place and time for the
closing of the purchase of the Top-Up Option Shares (the “Top-Up
Closing”). The Company shall, as soon as practicable following
receipt of such notice, notify Parent in writing of the number of Shares then
outstanding and the number of Top-Up Option Shares. At the Top-Up
Closing, Parent shall pay the Company the aggregate price required to be paid
for the Top-Up Option Shares and the Company shall cause to be issued to Parent
a certificate representing the Top-Up Option Shares. The purchase
price owed by Parent to the Company to purchase the Top-Up Option Shares shall
be paid to the Company at the Top-Up Closing, at Parent’s option, (i) in cash,
by wire transfer of same-day funds, or (ii) by (x) paying in cash, by wire
transfer of same-day funds, an amount equal to not less than the aggregate par
value of the Top-Up Option Shares and (y) executing and delivering to the
Company a promissory note having a principal amount equal to the aggregate
purchase price pursuant to the Top-Up Option less the amount paid in cash
pursuant to the preceding clause (x) (the “Promissory
Note”). The Promissory Note (A) shall be due on the first
anniversary of the Top-Up Closing, (B) shall bear simple interest of 5% per
annum, (C) shall be full recourse to Parent, (D) may be prepaid, in whole or in
part, at any time without premium or penalty, and (E) shall have no other
material terms.
(d) Exemption from
Registration. Parent acknowledges that the Top-Up Option
Shares that Parent may acquire upon exercise of the Top-Up Option will not be
registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), and will be issued in reliance upon an applicable exemption from
registration under the Securities Act. Parent hereby represents and warrants to
the Company that Parent will be, upon the purchase of the Top-Up Option Shares,
an “accredited investor”, as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D under
the Securities Act. Parent agrees that the Top-Up Option and the Top-Up Option
Shares to be acquired upon exercise of the Top-Up Option are being and will be
acquired by Parent for the purpose of investment and not with a view to, or for
resale in connection with, any distribution thereof (within the meaning of the
Securities Act).
-9-
(e) No Effect on Appraisal
Rights. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company agree and acknowledge that in
any appraisal proceeding under Section 262 of the DGCL with respect to the
Dissenting Shares and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the
Surviving Corporation shall not assert that the Top-Up Option, the Top-Up Option
Shares or any cash or Promissory Note delivered by Merger Sub to the Company in
payment for such Top-Up Option Shares should be considered in connection with
the determination of the fair value of the Dissenting Shares in accordance with
Section 262 of the DGCL.
ARTICLE
II
The Merger; Closing;
Effective Time
2.1. The
Merger. Upon
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the
Effective Time, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company in
accordance with the provisions of the DGCL and the separate corporate existence
of Merger Sub shall thereupon cease. The Company shall be the
surviving corporation in the Merger (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the
“Surviving
Corporation”), and the separate corporate existence of the Company, with
all its rights, privileges, immunities, powers and franchises, shall continue
unaffected by the Merger, except as set forth in Article III. The
Merger shall have the effects specified in the DGCL and in this
Agreement.
2.2. Closing. Unless
otherwise mutually agreed in writing between the Company and Parent, the closing
of the Merger (the “Closing”)
shall take place at the offices of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP,
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on
the third (3rd)
business day after which the last to be satisfied or waived of the conditions
set forth in Article VIII (other than those conditions that by their nature are
to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of
those conditions) shall be satisfied or waived in accordance with this
Agreement. The date on which the Closing actually occurs is referred
to as the “Closing
Date”.
2.3. Effective
Time. As
soon as practicable following the Closing, the Company and Parent will cause a
certificate of merger or certificate of ownership and merger, as applicable, (in
either case, the “Delaware
Certificate of Merger”) to be executed, acknowledged and filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as provided in the
DGCL. The Merger shall become effective at the time when the Delaware
Certificate of Merger has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware or at such later time as may be agreed by the parties in
writing and specified in the Delaware Certificate of Merger (the “Effective
Time”). Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything contained
in Section 7.4 to the contrary, if after the consummation of the Offer Closing
and the exercise of the Top-Up Option, if applicable, Parent shall then hold of
record, in the aggregate, at least 90% of the outstanding Shares, the parties
hereto agree to take all necessary and appropriate action to cause the Merger to
become effective as promptly as practicable without the vote or consent of the
stockholders of the Company in accordance with Section 253 of the
DGCL.
-10-
ARTICLE
III
Certificate of Incorporation
and
Bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation
3.1. The Certificate of
Incorporation. The
certificate of incorporation of the Company shall be amended in connection with
the completion of the Merger so as to read in its entirety as set forth in Exhibit B hereto and,
as so amended, shall be the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving
Corporation (the “Charter”),
until duly amended as provided therein or by applicable Law (subject to Section
7.11(e)).
3.2. The
Bylaws. The
parties hereto shall take all actions necessary so that the bylaws of the
Company in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the bylaws of
the Surviving Corporation (the “Bylaws”),
until thereafter amended as provided therein or by applicable Law (subject to
Section 7.11(e)).
ARTICLE
IV
Officers and
Directors
of the Surviving
Corporation
4.1. Directors. The
parties hereto shall take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary so that
the directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, from
and after the Effective Time, be the directors of the Surviving Corporation
until their successors have been duly elected or appointed and qualified or
until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the Charter
and the Bylaws.
4.2. Officers. The
officers of the Company at the Effective Time shall, from and after the
Effective Time, be the officers of the Surviving Corporation until their
successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualified or until
their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the Charter and
the Bylaws.
-11-
ARTICLE
V
Effect of the Merger on
Capital Stock;
Exchange of
Certificates
5.1. Effect on Capital
Stock. At
the Effective Time, as a result of the Merger and without any action on the part
of the Company, the holder of any capital stock of the Company or the sole
stockholder of Merger Sub:
(a) Merger
Consideration. Each share of Common Stock issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than (i) shares
of Common Stock owned by Parent, Merger Sub or any other direct or indirect
wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent and shares of Common Stock owned by the
Company or any direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company, and in
each case not held on behalf of third parties (the “Affiliated
Shares”), and (ii) shares of Common Stock owned by stockholders
(“Dissenting
Stockholders”) who have perfected and
not withdrawn a demand for, or lost their right to, appraisal pursuant to
Section 262 of the DGCL with respect to such shares of Common Stock (the
“Dissenting
Shares,” and together with the Affiliated Shares, the “Excluded
Shares”)) shall be converted into the right to receive an amount in cash
equal to the Offer Price (the “Per
Share Merger Consideration”), without interest. Except as
provided in Section 5.1(b), at the Effective Time, all of the shares of Common
Stock shall cease to be outstanding, shall be cancelled and shall cease to
exist, and each certificate (a “Certificate”)
formerly representing any of the shares of Common Stock (other than Excluded
Shares) shall thereafter represent only the right to receive the Per Share
Merger Consideration for each such share of Common Stock, without
interest.
(b) Treatment of Excluded
Shares. At the Effective Time, each Affiliated Share shall not
represent the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration and shall
convert into one share of a class of stock of the Surviving Corporation
designated by Parent. Each Dissenting Share, by virtue of the Merger
and without any action on the part of the holder thereof, shall cease to be
outstanding, shall be cancelled without payment of any consideration therefor
and shall cease to exist, subject to the right of the holder of any Dissenting
Shares to receive the payment for such Dissenting Shares pursuant to
Section 5.2(g).
(c) Merger
Sub. At
the Effective Time, each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share,
of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time
shall be converted into one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per
share, of the Surviving Corporation.
-12-
5.2. Exchange of
Certificates.
(a) Paying
Agent. At the Effective Time, Parent shall deposit, or cause
to be deposited, with a paying agent selected by Parent with the Company’s prior
approval (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed)
(the “Paying
Agent”), for the benefit of the holders of shares of Common Stock, a cash
amount in immediately available funds necessary for the Paying Agent to make
payments under Section 5.1(a) (such cash amount being hereinafter referred
to as the “Exchange
Fund”). If a Dissenting Stockholder effectively withdraws its
demand for, or loses its rights to, appraisal pursuant to Section 262 of the
DGCL with respect to any Dissenting Shares, (i) such shares of Common Stock
shall cease to be Excluded Shares and (ii) Parent shall make available or
cause to be made available to the Paying Agent additional funds in an amount
equal to the product of (x) the number of Dissenting Shares for which such
Dissenting Stockholder has withdrawn its demand for, or lost its rights to,
appraisal pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL and (y) the Per Share Merger
Consideration. The Paying Agent shall invest the Exchange Fund as
directed by Parent; provided that such
investments shall be in obligations of or guaranteed by the United States of
America, in commercial paper obligations rated A-1 or P-1 or better by Xxxxx’x
Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Corporation, respectively,
or in money market funds having a rating in the highest investment category
granted by a recognized credit rating agency at the time of
investment. Any interest and other income resulting from such
investment shall become a part of the Exchange Fund, and any amounts in excess
of the aggregate amounts payable under Section 5.1(a) shall be returned to the
Surviving Corporation in accordance with Section 5.2(e). To the
extent that there are any losses with respect to any such investments, or the
Exchange Fund diminishes for any reason below the level required for the Paying
Agent to make prompt cash payment under Section 5.1(a), Parent shall, or shall
cause the Surviving Corporation to, promptly replace or restore the cash in the
Exchange Fund so as to ensure that the Exchange Fund is at all times maintained
at a level sufficient for the Paying Agent to make such payments under Section
5.1(a).
(b) Exchange
Procedures. Promptly (and in any event within two (2) business
days), after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall cause the
Paying Agent to mail to each holder of shares of Common Stock (other than
Excluded Shares) (i) a letter of transmittal specifying that delivery shall
be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only
upon delivery of the Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof as
provided in Section 5.2(f)) to the Paying Agent, such letter of transmittal
to be in customary form and to have such other provisions as Parent and the
Company may reasonably agree, and (ii) instructions for use in effecting
the surrender of the Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof as
provided in Section 5.2(f)) in exchange for the amount to which such holder
of shares of Common Stock is entitled as a result of the Merger pursuant to
Section 5.1(a). If any Excluded Shares cease to be an Excluded Share
pursuant to Section 5.2(a), the Surviving Corporation shall cause the Paying
Agent promptly (and in any event within two (2) business days) after such
Excluded Shares cease to be an Excluded Share to mail to the holder of such
shares of Common Stock the letter of transmittal and instructions referred to in
the immediately preceding sentence, with respect to such shares of Common
Stock. Upon delivery of such letter of transmittal by any holder of
shares of Common Stock (other than Excluded Shares), duly completed and duly
executed in accordance with its instructions and the surrender to the Paying
Agent of a Certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented
such shares of Common Stock (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof as provided in
Section 5.2(f)), the holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to
receive in exchange therefor a cash amount in immediately available funds (after
giving effect to any required Tax withholdings as provided in
Section 5.2(h)) equal to the product of (x) the number of shares of
Common Stock represented by such Certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu
thereof as provided in Section 5.2(f)) and (y) the Per Share Merger
Consideration, and the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith be
cancelled. No interest will be paid or accrued on any amount payable
upon due surrender of the Certificates. In the event of a transfer of
ownership of shares of Common Stock that is not registered in the transfer
records of the Company, a check for any cash to be delivered upon compliance
with the procedures described above may be issued to the transferee if the
applicable letter of transmittal is accompanied by all documents reasonably
required to evidence and effect such transfer and to evidence that any
applicable stock transfer taxes have been paid or are not
applicable.
-13-
(c) Special Payment Procedures
for DTC. Prior to the Effective Time, Parent and the Company
shall cooperate to establish procedures with the Paying Agent and the Depository
Trust Company (“DTC”)
to ensure that (i) if the Closing occurs at or prior to 11:30 a.m. (Eastern
time) on the Closing Date, the Paying Agent will transmit to DTC or its nominee
on the Closing Date an amount in cash in immediately available funds equal to
the product of (x) the number of shares of Common Stock held of record by
DTC or such nominee immediately prior to the Effective Time and (y) the Per
Share Merger Consideration (such amount, the “DTC
Payment”), and (ii) if the Closing occurs after 11:30 a.m. (Eastern time)
on the Closing Date, the Paying Agent will transmit to DTC or its nominee on the
first (1st)
business day after the Closing Date an amount in cash in immediately available
funds equal to the DTC Payment.
(d) Transfers. From
and after the Effective Time, there shall be no transfers on the stock transfer
books of the Company of the shares of Common Stock that were outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time. If, after the Effective
Time, any Certificate is presented to the Surviving Corporation, Parent or the
Paying Agent for transfer, it shall be cancelled and exchanged for the cash
amount in immediately available funds to which the holder thereof is entitled
pursuant to this Article V.
(e) Termination of Exchange
Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund (including the proceeds
of any investments thereof) that remains unclaimed by the holders of the shares
of Common Stock for 180 days after the Effective Time shall be delivered to the
Surviving Corporation upon demand. Any holder of shares of Common
Stock (other than Excluded Shares) who has not theretofore complied with this
Article V shall thereafter look only to the Surviving Corporation for payment of
the amount to which such holder of shares of Common Stock is entitled as a
result of the Merger pursuant to Section 5.1(a) (after giving effect to any
required Tax withholdings as provided in Section 5.2(h)) upon due surrender
of its Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof as provided in
Section 5.2(f)), without any interest thereon. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, none of the Surviving Corporation, Parent, the Paying Agent or any
other Person shall be liable to any Person for any amount properly delivered to
a public official pursuant to applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar
Laws. Any amounts remaining unclaimed by holders of shares of Common
Stock at such date as is immediately prior to the time at which such amounts
would otherwise escheat to or become property of any Governmental Entity shall,
to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Surviving
Corporation, free and clear of any claims or interests of any such holders or
their successors, assigns or personal representatives previously entitled
thereto. For the purposes of this Agreement, (i) the term “Person”
shall mean any individual, corporation (including not-for-profit), general or
limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, estate, trust,
association, organization, Governmental Entity or other entity of any kind or
nature (including any person as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange
Act), (ii) the term “Law”
or “Laws”
shall mean any domestic or foreign laws, statutes, ordinances, rules (including
rules of common law), regulations, codes, Orders or legally enforceable
requirements enacted, issued, adopted, or promulgated by any Governmental Entity
and any judicial interpretation thereof and (iii) the term “Final
Order” shall mean action by the relevant Governmental Entity which has
not been reversed, stayed, enjoined, set aside, annulled or suspended, with
respect to which any waiting period prescribed by Law before the transactions
contemplated hereby may be consummated has expired, and as to which all
conditions (other than conditions the satisfaction of which are within the
control of a party) to the consummation of such transactions prescribed by Law
have been satisfied.
-14-
(f)
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed
Certificates. In the event any Certificate shall have been
lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the
Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if
required by Parent, the posting by such Person of a bond in customary amount and
upon such terms as may be required by Parent as indemnity against any claim that
may be made against it or the Surviving Corporation with respect to such
Certificate, the Paying Agent will issue a check in the amount (after giving
effect to any required Tax withholdings as provided in Section 5.2(h)) equal to
the product of (i) the number of shares of Common Stock represented by such
lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate and (ii) the Per Share Merger
Consideration.
(g) Dissenting
Shares. No Person who has perfected a demand for appraisal
rights pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL with respect to any Dissenting
Shares shall be entitled to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration with
respect to such Dissenting Shares unless and until such Person shall have
effectively withdrawn its demand for, or lost its right to, appraisal under the
DGCL with respect to such Dissenting Shares. Unless and until a
Dissenting Stockholder shall have effectively withdrawn its demand for, or lost
its right to, appraisal under the DGCL with respect to Dissenting Shares, each
Dissenting Stockholder shall be entitled to receive only the payment provided by
Section 262 of the DGCL with respect to such Dissenting
Shares. The Company shall give Parent prompt notice of any written
demands for appraisal, attempted withdrawals of such demands, and any other
instruments served pursuant to applicable Laws that are received by the Company
relating to stockholders’ rights of appraisal and shall give Parent the
opportunity to participate in all negotiations and proceedings with respect
thereto. The Company shall not, except with the prior written consent
of Parent, voluntarily make any payment with respect to any demands for
appraisal or offer to settle or settle any such demands.
(h) Withholding
Rights. Each of Parent, the Surviving Corporation and the
Paying Agent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration
otherwise payable in respect of the shares of Common Stock cancelled in the
Merger such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the
making of such payment under the Code, or any other applicable state, local or
foreign Tax Law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid
over to the appropriate Taxing authority by the Surviving Corporation, Parent or
the Paying Agent, as the case may be, such withheld amounts (i) shall be
remitted by the Surviving Corporation, Parent or the Paying Agent, as
applicable, to the applicable Governmental Entity, and (ii) shall be
treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of
shares of Common Stock in respect of which such deduction and withholding was
made by the Surviving Corporation, Parent or the Paying Agent, as the case may
be.
-15-
5.3. Treatment of Stock
Plans.
(a) Options. At
the Effective Time, unless otherwise agreed by Parent and the applicable holder,
each outstanding Company Stock Option (as defined in Section 6.1(b)), vested or
unvested, shall be cancelled for no payment if such option has an exercise price
greater than the Per Share Merger Consideration and, if such option exercise
price is not greater than the Per Share Merger Consideration, shall only entitle
the holder thereof to receive, as soon as reasonably practicable after the
Effective Time (but in any event no later than three (3) business days after the
Effective Time), an amount in cash equal to the product of (i) the total
number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Company Stock Option immediately
prior to the Effective Time and (ii) the excess,
if any, of the Per Share Merger Consideration over the exercise price per
share of Common Stock under such Company Stock Option, less applicable Taxes
required to be withheld with respect to such payment.
(b) Restricted
Shares. At the Effective Time, each outstanding share of
Company Restricted Stock (as defined in Section 6.1(b)), if any, shall only
entitle the holder thereof to receive, as soon as reasonably practicable after
the Effective Time, but in any event no later than the earlier of (i) the second
payroll period or (ii) thirty (30) days following the Effective Time, pursuant
to Section 5.1(a), an amount in cash, for each share of Company Restricted
Stock, equal to the Per Share Merger Consideration, less applicable Taxes
required to be withheld with respect to such payment.
(c) Phantom Stock
Units. At the earlier to occur of the Offer Closing or the
Effective Time (such earlier time, the “Acceleration
Time”), each outstanding Phantom Stock Unit (as defined in Section
6.1(b)) shall be cancelled and shall only entitle the holder thereof to receive,
as soon as reasonably practicable after the Acceleration Time, but in any event
no later than the earlier of (i) the second payroll period or (ii) thirty (30)
days following the Acceleration Time, an amount in cash, for each Phantom Stock
Unit, equal to the Per Share Merger Consideration, less applicable Taxes
required to be withheld with respect to such payment.
(d) Performance
Awards. At the Acceleration Time, (i) Company Performance
Awards granted in 2009 and 2010 shall be payable at 100% of “target” (as defined
in the applicable agreements for such awards), fully vested and settled for a
payment of cash, as required by the terms of the agreements governing such
Company Performance Awards and (ii) each outstanding Company Performance Award
granted prior to 2009 shall be fully vested and canceled for no payment in
accordance with the terms of the agreements governing such Company Performance
Awards.
-16-
(e) Corporate
Actions. Prior to the Acceleration Time, the Company, the
Board of Directors of the Company and the Compensation and Human Resources
Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company, as applicable, shall adopt
resolutions and will take such other appropriate actions to implement the
provisions of Sections 5.3(a), 5.3(b), 5.3(c) and 5.3(d). Prior
to the Effective Time, the Company shall take all actions necessary to ensure
that from and after the Effective Time none of Parent, the Company or the
Surviving Corporation, as applicable, will be required to deliver Shares or
other capital stock of the Company to any Person pursuant to or in settlement of
any Company Equity Awards.
(f) Vesting. The
parties acknowledge and agree that each outstanding Company Stock Option, share
of Company Restricted Stock and Phantom Stock Unit shall vest in full at the
Acceleration Time.
5.4. Adjustments to Prevent
Dilution. In
the event that the Company changes the number of Shares or securities
convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for Shares issued and
outstanding prior to the Offer Closing and/or Effective Time, as applicable, as
a result of a reclassification, stock split (including a reverse stock split),
stock dividend or distribution, recapitalization, merger, issuer tender or
exchange offer, or other similar transaction, and not in violation of Section
7.1, the Offer Price and the Per Share Merger Consideration shall be equitably
adjusted to reflect such change and as so adjusted shall, from and after the
date of such event, be the Offer Price and the Per Share Merger
Consideration.
ARTICLE
VI
Representations and
Warranties
6.1. Representations and
Warranties of the Company. Except
as set forth in the Company SEC Reports filed after December 31, 2007 and prior
to the date hereof (other than disclosures in the “Risk Factors” sections
thereof or any such disclosures included in such filings that are cautionary,
predictive or forward-looking in nature) (it being agreed that such disclosures
shall not be exceptions to Section 6.1(b)(i), 6.1(c) or 6.1(d)) or in the
corresponding sections or subsections of the disclosure letter delivered to
Parent by the Company prior to or simultaneously with entering into this
Agreement (the “Company
Disclosure Letter”) (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any
section or subsection of the Company Disclosure Letter shall be deemed
disclosure with respect to any other section or subsection to which the
relevance of such item is reasonably apparent; provided that no such
disclosure shall be deemed to qualify Section 6.1(f)(i) or Section 7.1, as
applicable, of the Company Disclosure Letter unless expressly set forth in
Section 6.1(f)(i) or Section 7.1 of the Company Disclosure Letter or expressly
cross-referenced), the Company hereby represents and warrants to Parent and
Merger Sub that:
(a) Organization, Good Standing
and Qualification. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is
a legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (with
respect to jurisdictions that recognize the concept of good standing) under the
Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has all requisite corporate or
similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets
and to carry on its business as presently conducted and is qualified to do
business and is in good standing (with respect to jurisdictions that recognize
the concept of good standing) as a foreign corporation or other legal entity in
each jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its assets or
properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except
where any such failure to be so organized, validly existing, qualified, in good
standing or to have such power or authority, would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. As used in this Agreement, the term:
-17-
(i) “Affiliate”
means, when used with respect to any Person, any other Person who is an
“affiliate” of that Person within the meaning of Rule 405 promulgated under
the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder,
as amended (the “Securities
Act”); provided, that, any
Person with equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and who would
otherwise be considered an “Affiliate” of Parent shall be deemed to not be an
“Affiliate” of Parent if such Person (x) does not have beneficial ownership
of any Shares and (y) has not received any Evaluation Material from Parent,
Merger Sub, their other Affiliates or Representatives;
(ii) “Subsidiary”
means, with respect to any Person, any other Person of which at least a majority
of the securities or other ownership interests having by their terms ordinary
voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons
performing similar functions is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by
such Person and/or by one or more of its Subsidiaries;
(iii) “Significant
Subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1.02(w) of Regulation
S-X promulgated pursuant to the Exchange Act; and
(iv) “Company
Material Adverse Effect” means any event, effect, change, circumstance or
occurrence, which, when considered individually or together with all other
events, effects, changes, circumstances or occurrences, has a material adverse
effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the
Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; provided, however, that none of
the following, and no events, effects, changes, circumstances or occurrences,
individually or in the aggregate, arising out of or resulting from the
following, shall constitute or be taken into account in determining whether a
“Company Material Adverse Effect” has occurred or may, would or could
occur:
(A) changes,
events, occurrences or effects generally affecting (1) the economy, credit,
financial or capital markets, or political conditions, in the United States,
including changes in interest and exchange rates or (2) the electric
generation industry;
(B) changes
in GAAP, regulatory accounting standards or Law or in the interpretation or
enforcement thereof after date of this Agreement;
(C) an
act of terrorism or an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or war (whether or
not declared) or any natural disasters (whether or not caused by any Person or
any force majeure
event) or any national or international calamity or crisis, other than
any of the foregoing involving physical damage or destruction to or rendering
physically unusable facilities or properties of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries;
-18-
(D) the
execution, announcement or performance of obligations, covenants or agreements
required by the Agreement and Plan of Merger among the Company, Denali Parent
Inc. and Denali Merger Sub Inc., dated as of August 13, 2010, as amended (the
“Prior
Agreement”), including any litigation arising from allegations of breach
of fiduciary duty or violation of Law relating to the Prior Agreement or the
transactions contemplated by the Prior Agreement or this Agreement or the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (except with
respect to the Company’s representation in Section 6.1(d)(ii)), including the
impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers,
suppliers, distributors, partners, employees or regulators or any litigation
arising from allegations of breach of fiduciary duty or violation of Law
relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement;
(E) any
decline in the market price, or change in trading volume, of any capital stock
of the Company (provided that the exception in this clause shall not prevent or
otherwise affect a determination that any event, change or occurrence (if not
otherwise falling within any of the exceptions provided in subclauses (A)-(D) or
(F)-(M) referred to in this proviso) underlying such decline has resulted in, or
contributed to, a Company Material Adverse Effect);
(F) any
change in the Company’s credit ratings (provided that the exception in this
clause shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any event,
effect, change, circumstance or occurrence (if not otherwise falling within any
of the exceptions provided in sub-clauses (A)-(E) and (G)-(M) of this proviso)
underlying such change has resulted in, or contributed to, a Company Material
Adverse Effect);
(G) any
actions taken by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that
are permitted by this Agreement to obtain approval or consent from
any Governmental Entity in connection with the consummation of the Offer or the
Merger;
(H)
any impact or effect on the rates that the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company may charge for electricity, energy, capacity and/or ancillary services
or any other product or service subject to regulation by FERC as a result of the
affiliation of the Company or such Subsidiary with Parent under applicable
Law;
(I) any
change resulting or arising from the identity of, or any facts or circumstances
relating to, Parent, Merger Sub or their respective affiliates;
(J) any
failure to meet any internal or public projections, forecasts or estimates of
revenue, earnings, cash flow or cash position (provided that the exception in
this clause shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any
event, effect, change, circumstance or occurrence (if not otherwise falling
within any of the exceptions provided in sub-clauses (A)-(I) and (K)-(M) of this
proviso) underlying such failure has resulted in, or contributed to, a Company
Material Adverse Effect);
-19-
(K) changes
or developments in national, regional, state or local wholesale or retail
markets or prices for electric power, capacity, emissions allowances, natural
gas, fuel oil, coal, steel, concrete, water, fuel or the transportation of any
of the foregoing, including those due to actions by competitors or due to
changes in commodities prices or hedging markets therefor;
(L)
changes or developments in national, regional, state or local electric
generating, transmission or distribution systems or natural gas transmission or
distribution systems, other than changes or developments involving physical
damage or destruction to or rendering physically unusable facilities or
properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and
(M) any
action taken by the Company or the Company’s Subsidiaries that is required by
this Agreement or taken at Parent’s written request, or the failure to take any
action by the Company or its Subsidiaries if that action is prohibited by this
Agreement;
provided, however, that the
events, effects, circumstances, changes and occurrences set forth in clauses
(A), (B), (C), (K) and (L) above shall be taken into account in determining
whether a “Company
Material Adverse Effect” has occurred to the extent (but only to such
extent) such changes have a disproportionate (taking into account the relative
size of the Company and its Subsidiaries and their affected businesses as
compared to the other participants in the industries in which the Company and
its Subsidiaries conduct their business and such participants’ affected
businesses) impact on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
relative to the other participants in the industries in which the Company and
its Subsidiaries conduct their businesses.
-20-
(b) Capital
Structure.
(i) The
authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 420,000,000 shares of Common
Stock and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $.01 per share (the
“Preferred
Shares”). As of December 9, 2010, (i) 120,972,824
shares of Common Stock were issued and outstanding, of which 500,893 shares of
Common Stock were subject to forfeiture or repurchase under restricted stock
awards and were granted under the Company Stock Plans (as defined below) or
otherwise (“Company
Restricted Stock”), (ii) none of the Preferred
Shares were issued and outstanding, (iii) 656,249 shares of Common Stock were
held by the Company in its treasury, and (iv) 13,922,961 shares of Common
Stock were reserved and available for issuance pursuant to the Dynegy Inc. 2000
Long Term Incentive Plan, the Dynegy Inc. 2001 Non-Executive Stock Incentive
Plan, the Dynegy Inc. 2002 Long Term Incentive Plan, the Dynegy Inc. 2010 Long
Term Incentive Plan, the Dynegy Midwest Generation, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan for
Employees Covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (as amended and
restated effective January 1, 2009), the Dynegy Midwest Generation, Inc. 401(k)
Savings Plan (as amended and restated effective January 1, 2009), the Dynegy
Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan (as amended and restated effective January 1, 2009),
and the Dynegy Northeast Generation, Inc. Savings Incentive Plan (as amended and
restated effective January 1, 2009) (collectively, the “Stock
Plans”), of which 3,298,216 shares of Common Stock were subject to
outstanding options to purchase shares of Common Stock (such outstanding
options, together with any options to purchase shares of Common Stock granted
after December 9, 2010, under the Company Stock Plans or otherwise, the
“Company
Stock Options”). As of the date hereof, one Right is
associated with each share of Common Stock and each Right entitles the holder
thereof to purchase, under certain circumstances provided for in the Rights
Agreement, 1/100th of a share of Participating Preferred Stock, par value $0.01,
or, under certain circumstances provided for in the Rights Agreement, a number
of shares of Common Stock or other securities or assets of the
Company. Except for those shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock
reserved for issuance pursuant to the immediately preceding sentences, no shares
of Common Stock or Preferred Shares have been issued since the close of business
on December 9, 2010 through the date hereof. In addition,
as of December 9, 2010,
there were 188,484 Performance Units outstanding representing the right to
receive an aggregate payment of $18,848,400 in cash in accordance with the
underlying terms and conditions of such awards (the “Company
Performance Awards”). Furthermore, as of December 9,
2010, there were 3,336,766 outstanding
phantom stock unit awards granted under the 2009 Phantom Stock Plan representing
the right to receive an aggregate payment of $18,352,213 in cash in accordance
with the underlying terms and conditions of such awards (such unit awards,
together with any other phantom stock unit awards granted after December 9,
2010, the “Phantom
Stock Units” and, together with the Company Restricted Stock, the Company
Stock Options and the Company Performance Awards, the “Company
Equity Awards”). The exercise price per share of Common Stock
under each Option was equal to or greater than the fair market value of a share
of Common Stock on the applicable grant date thereof. None of the Subsidiaries
of the Company owns any shares of Common Stock. Except as set forth
above in this Section 6.1(b)(i) and except for the Rights, there are no
preemptive or other outstanding rights, options, warrants, conversion rights,
stock appreciation rights, performance units, redemption rights, repurchase
rights, agreements, arrangements, calls, commitments or rights of any kind that
obligate the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries to issue or sell any
shares of capital stock or other equity securities of the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries or any securities or obligations convertible or
exchangeable into or exercisable for, or giving any Person a right to subscribe
for or acquire, any equity securities of the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries, and no securities or obligations evidencing such rights are
authorized, issued or outstanding.
(ii) Section
6.1(b)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list, as of the date of
this Agreement, of the Company’s Subsidiaries and entities (other than
Subsidiaries) in which the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company owns a 5% or
greater equity interest as of the date hereof (each, a “Company
Joint Venture”). Each of the outstanding shares of capital
stock or other equity securities of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries is duly
authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, except for such
failures as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The ownership interest of
the Company in each Subsidiary and interest of the Company in each Company Joint
Venture is owned by the Company or by a direct or indirect wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, pledge, security
interest, claim or other encumbrance (each, a “Lien”) except for transfer
restrictions of general applicability as provided under the Securities Act and
other applicable securities Laws. For purposes of this Agreement, a
wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company shall include any Subsidiary of the
Company of which all of the shares of capital stock are owned by the Company (or
a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company).
-21-
(iii) Upon
any issuance of any shares of Common Stock in accordance with the terms of the
Stock Plans, such shares of Common Stock will be duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Other than the Rights, the
Company does not have outstanding any bonds, debentures, notes or other
obligations the holders of which have the right to vote (or convertible into or
exercisable for securities having the right to vote) with the stockholders of
the Company on any matter.
(iv) Except
for the Rights Agreement, this Agreement and the Support Agreement, there are no
stockholder agreements, voting trusts or other agreements or understandings to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it is bound
relating to the voting or registration of any equity securities of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries.
(v) As
of the date of this Agreement and except as set forth in Section 6.1(b)(v) of
the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company and its Subsidiaries have no
indebtedness for borrowed money (other than intercompany indebtedness), except
for amounts outstanding under the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement,
dated as of April 2, 2007, as amended, by and among Dynegy Holdings Inc.,
as borrower the parent guarantors party thereto, the other guarantors party
thereto, the lenders party thereto and various other parties thereto (the “Credit
Agreement”). As of the date of this Agreement, there are no
outstanding letters of credit, bankers’ acceptance financing or similar
instruments issued for the benefit of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
except for outstanding undrawn letters of credit that have been issued for the
benefit of the Company and its Subsidiaries under the Credit Agreement. The only
issuers of outstanding letters of credit under the Credit Agreement are JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., Citibank, N.A, Credit Suisse, Cayman Islands Branch and ABN
AMRO BANK N.V.
(c) Corporate Authority;
Approval and Fairness.
(i) The
Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and has
taken all corporate action necessary to execute and deliver this Agreement and,
if required by applicable Law, subject only to, assuming the representations and
warranties of Parent and Merger Sub set forth in Section 6.2(h) are true and
correct, adoption of this Agreement by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding Shares entitled to vote on such matter at a stockholders’ meeting
duly called and held for such purpose or acting by written consent in lieu of a
stockholders’ meeting (the “Company
Requisite Vote”), to perform its obligations under this Agreement and to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Offer
and the Merger. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered
by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery
hereof by Parent and Merger Sub, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of
the Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar Laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights
and to general equity principles (the “Bankruptcy
and Equity Exception”).
-22-
(ii) As
of the date of this Agreement, by resolutions duly adopted at meetings duly
called and held, which resolutions have not been rescinded, modified or
withdrawn as of the time of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, by
vote of those directors present, (A) each of the Special Committee and the
Board of Directors of the Company has determined that the Offer and the Merger
are fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders,
approved and declared advisable this Agreement, the Offer and the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby, and has resolved, subject to Section
7.2(e), to recommend holders of Shares accept the Offer, tender their shares
into the Offer and, if required by applicable Law, adopt this Agreement (such
recommendation, including the Special Committee recommendation, the “Company
Recommendation”), and (B) the Board of Directors of the Company has
directed that, to the extent required by applicable Law, this Agreement be
submitted to the holders of Shares for their adoption at a stockholders’ meeting
duly called and held for such purpose. As of the date of this
Agreement, the Board of Directors of the Company has received the opinion of
each of Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co. and Xxxxxxxxx & Co., Inc. (such opinions,
the “Fairness
Opinions”), to the effect that, as of the date of such opinion, and based
upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein, the $5.50 in
cash to be received in the Offer and the Merger by holders of Shares is fair,
from a financial point of view, to such holders. It is agreed and
understood that such opinion is for the benefit of the Company’s Board of
Directors and may not be relied on by Parent or Merger Sub.
-23-
(d) Governmental Filings; No
Violations; Certain Contracts.
(i) Except
for (i) compliance with, and filings under, the Xxxx-Xxxxx-Xxxxxx Antitrust
Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder
(the “HSR
Act”); (ii) compliance with, and filings under, the Exchange Act and the
Securities Act, including, if applicable pursuant to this
Agreement, the filing with the SEC of (x) a proxy statement in
definitive form relating to the Stockholders Meeting to be held in connection
with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereunder (together with
any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Proxy
Statement”) or an information statement in definitive form relating to
the Stockholder Consent, as defined in Section 7.4(b) (together with any
amendments or supplements thereto, the “Written
Consent Information Statement”), (y) the Schedule 14D-9 and (z) an
Information Statement; (iii) compliance with state securities, takeover and
“blue sky” Laws and the filing of documents with various state securities
authorities that may be required in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby; (iv) the filing of an application to, and approval of,
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the “FERC”) under
Section 203 of the Federal Power Act of 1935, as amended (the “FPA“);
(v) the filing of the Certificate of Merger and any other appropriate
merger documents required by the DGCL with the Secretary of State of the State
of Delaware; (vi) the filing of a petition to, and approval, or a determination
that no approval is required, of the New York State Public Service Commission
(“NYPSC”)
under the New York Public Service Law, as amended; (vii) required
pre-approvals (the “FCC
Pre-Approvals”) of license transfers with the Federal Communications
Commission (the “FCC”);
(viii) compliance with the applicable requirements of the NYSE; (ix) such
other items as disclosed in Section 6.1(d)(i) of the Company Disclosure
Letter; and (x) filings and notices required as a result of facts and
circumstances attributable to Parent or Merger Sub (the items set forth above in
clauses (i) through (ix), the “Company
Required Governmental Approvals”), no Permit or Order or action of,
registration, declaration or filing with or notice to any court, federal, state,
local or foreign governmental or regulatory body (including a stock exchange or
other self-regulatory body and the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (including any applicable regional authorities thereof)),
commission, agency or instrumentality of the foregoing or other legislative,
executive or judicial authority (each, a “Governmental
Entity”) or any regional transmission organization or independent system
operator is necessary or required to be obtained or made in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company, the performance by the
Company of its obligations hereunder or consummation of the Offer, the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated hereby by the Company, other than such
items that the failure to make or obtain, as the case may be, individually or in
the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material
Adverse Effect or prevent, materially delay or materially impede the ability of
the Company to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company do not, and
the consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby by the Company will not, violate or result in a breach of,
or otherwise contravene or conflict with, any provision of, constitute a default
(with or without notice or lapse of time or both) under, result in the
termination or modification of, accelerate the performance required by, result
in a right of termination, amendment, cancellation or acceleration of any
obligation or the loss of any benefit under, require any consent under, or
result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries (any such violation, breach, default, right
of termination, amendment, modification, cancellation, acceleration, loss or
creation is referred to herein as a “Violation” with
respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and such term when used in
Section 6.2 has a correlative meaning with respect to Parent or any of its
Subsidiaries) pursuant to, any provisions of (A) the certificate of
incorporation or bylaws of the Company, (B) the certificate of incorporation,
bylaws or similar governing documents of any Subsidiary of the Company,
(C) subject to obtaining the Company Required Governmental Approvals and
the receipt of the Company Requisite Vote, any order, judgment, injunction,
award, decree or writ adopted or imposed by, including any consent decree,
settlement agreement or similar written agreement with, any Governmental Entity
(each, an “Order”),
authorization, license, franchise, consent, certificate, qualification,
registration, authorization, tariff, approval, permit and other similar
authorizations of, from or by any Governmental Entity (each, a “Permit”)
or Law applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective properties or assets, or (D) subject to obtaining the
third-party consents set forth in Section 6.1(d)(ii)(D) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, any Company Material Contract, except in the case of clauses
(C) or (D) above and, in the case of clause (B) above, with respect to
Subsidiaries of the Company other than Significant Subsidiaries, for any such
Violation which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or prevent, materially delay
or materially impede the ability of the Company to consummate the Offer, the
Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
-24-
(e) Company Reports; Financial
Statements.
(i) Since
December 31, 2007, the Company and its Subsidiaries have filed or
furnished, as applicable, on a timely basis (taking into account all applicable
grace periods) all material forms, statements, certifications, reports and
other documents required to be filed or furnished by them under the Public
Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the FPA, the
Communications Act of 1934, and the Laws of FERC, the Department of Energy, the
FCC and applicable
state public utility Laws (such forms, statements, certifications, reports and
other documents filed or furnished since December 31, 2007 and those filed or
furnished subsequent to the date hereof, collectively, the “Company
Reports”). Each Company Report, as of its filing date (or if
amended, as of the date of such amendment), complied or, if not yet filed or
furnished, will comply in all material respects with applicable requirements of
applicable Laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Since
December 31, 2007, the Company and its Subsidiaries have filed or
furnished, as applicable, on a timely basis (taking into account all applicable
grace periods) all forms, certifications, reports, registration statements,
definitive proxy statements and other documents required to be filed or
furnished by them with the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
(such forms, certifications, reports, registration statements, definitive proxy
statements and other documents filed or furnished since December 31, 2007 and
those filed or furnished subsequent to the date hereof, collectively, the “Company
SEC Reports”). Each of the Company SEC Reports (including any
financial statements or schedules included therein), at the time of its filing
or being furnished (or if amended, as of the date of such amendment), complied
or, if not yet filed or furnished, will comply in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder
applicable to the Company SEC Reports. As of their respective dates
(or, if amended prior to the date hereof, as of the date of such amendment), the
Company SEC Reports did not, and any Company SEC Reports filed with or furnished
to the SEC subsequent to the date hereof will not, contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the
circumstances in which they were made, not misleading. As of the date
hereof, there are no material outstanding or unresolved comments received from
the SEC with respect to any of the Company SEC Reports.
-25-
(ii) Each
of the audited consolidated financial statements and unaudited interim
consolidated financial statements of the Company included in or incorporated by
reference into the Company SEC Reports as amended prior to the date hereof
(including the related notes and schedules) (collectively, the “Company
Financial Statements”) has been, and in the case of Company SEC
Reports filed after the date hereof will be, prepared in accordance with United
States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”),
consistently applied during the periods involved (except as may be indicated
therein or in the notes thereto and subject, in the case of unaudited
statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments) and fairly presents, or,
in the case of Company SEC Reports after the date hereof, will fairly present,
in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and
its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the results of their operations and
consolidated cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of the
unaudited interim financial statements, to normal year-end audit
adjustments.
(f) Absence of Certain
Changes. Since December 31, 2009, (i) there has not been any
event, effect, change, discovery or occurrence, which, individually or together
with any other event, effect, change, discovery or occurrence, has had or would
reasonably be expected to have, or otherwise represents, a Company Material
Adverse Effect and (ii), except in connection with this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby or as expressly contemplated or permitted by
this Agreement, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have conducted their
respective businesses in all material respects only in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice.
(g)
Litigation and
Liabilities.
(i) Except
with respect to regulatory matters that are the subject of Section 7.5 hereof,
there are no pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened (as used in
this Section 6.1, meaning threatened in writing) claims, suits, actions or other
proceedings before any Governmental Entity or any arbitrator (collectively,
“Legal
Proceedings”), nor are there, to the Knowledge of the Company, any
investigations, audits, or reviews by any Governmental Entity or any arbitrator
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries which have, individually or in the aggregate, resulted
in or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. As of the date hereof and to the Knowledge of the Company,
there are no pending or threatened Legal Proceedings against any of the Company
Joint Ventures which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or prevent, materially delay
or materially impede the ability of the Company to consummate the Offer, the
Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
-26-
(ii) There
are no Orders of any Governmental Entity or any arbitrator applicable to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any of
the Company Joint Ventures or any of their respective businesses, assets or
properties except for such Orders that are disclosed in the Company SEC Reports
filed prior to the date hereof or that, individually or in the aggregate, would
not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or prevent,
materially delay or materially impede the ability of the Company to consummate
the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(iii) Except
for liabilities set forth, reflected or reserved against in the consolidated
balance sheet (and notes thereto) of the Company as of December 31, 2009 or
September 30, 2010 and included in the Company Financial Statements, neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liabilities or obligations which
(assuming the Company were aware thereof) would be required to be reflected or
reserved against on a consolidated balance sheet (or described in the notes
thereto) of the Company prepared in accordance with GAAP, except for liabilities
or obligations (A) that were incurred since September 30, 2010 in the ordinary
course of business, (B) incurred in connection with the Offer or the Merger or
any other transaction or agreement contemplated by this Agreement in accordance
with the terms hereof or (C) that, individually or in the aggregate, have not
had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
(iv) The
term “Knowledge”
(including as used in this Agreement, “Known”)
means, (A) when referring to the knowledge of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, the actual knowledge of the Company officers listed on Section
6.1(g)(iv)(A) of the Company Disclosure Letter without any obligation of further
review or inquiry and (B) when referring to the knowledge of Parent or the
Parent Subsidiaries, the actual knowledge of the executive officers of Parent
listed on Section 6.1(g)(iv)(B) of the Parent Disclosure Letter.
-27-
(h) Employee
Benefits
(i) No
Company Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (a “Title IV
Company Plan”) has incurred any “accumulated funding deficiency” (as
defined in Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code), or
failed to timely satisfy the minimum funding standard (within the meaning of
Section 302 of ERISA or Sections 412 and 430 of the Code), in each
case whether or not waived. All contributions required to be
made with respect to any Company Plan on or before the date hereof have been
made and all obligations in respect of each Company Plan as of the date hereof
have been accrued and reflected in the Company Financial Statements to the
extent required by GAAP. Under each Title IV Company Plan which is a
single-employer plan, the financial statements filed with the Form 5500 most
recently filed with the Internal Revenue Service (including the related notes
and schedules) for such Company Plan fairly presented the financial condition of
such Company Plan in all material respects as of the last day of the plan year
covered by such Form 5500, and there has been no material change in the
financial condition, whether or not as a result of a change in funding method,
of such Company Plan since the end of such plan year. For purposes of
this Agreement, “Company
Plans” shall mean all “employee benefit plans” (within the meaning of
Section 3(3) of ERISA), including each multiemployer plan within the meaning of
Section 3(37) of ERISA and all employment, or change in control, deferred
compensation, bonus or other incentive compensation, stock purchase, stock
option and other equity or equity-based compensation plan, employee loan, fringe
benefit, workers’ compensation, short-term and long-term disability, vacation,
and all other employee benefit programs, policies, agreements or arrangements;
each severance, retention or termination pay, medical, surgical,
hospitalization, life insurance and other “welfare plan,” fund or program
(within the meaning of Section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”));
each profit-sharing, stock bonus or other “pension plan,” fund or program
(within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA); each employment,
termination or severance contract, arrangement, policy or agreement; and each
other employee benefit plan, fund, program, policy, agreement or arrangement;
(i) that is sponsored, maintained or contributed to or required to be
contributed to by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any trade or
business, whether or not incorporated, that together with the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is deemed a “single employer” under
Section 4001(b) of ERISA (an “ERISA
Affiliate”), for the benefit of any current or former employee or
director of the Company (the “Company
Employees”), (ii) to which the Company or an ERISA Affiliate is a party,
or (iii) under which Company or any of its Subsidiaries or with respect to which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has any liability or contingent
liability.
(ii) (A)
No material tax, fine, lien, penalty, or other liability under Title IV of
ERISA, the Code, or other applicable laws, rules and regulations has been
incurred by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate that
has not been satisfied in full and, no event has occurred and no condition
exists that presents a material risk to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or any ERISA Affiliate of incurring any such liability, other than liability for
premiums due to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (the “PBGC”)
(which premiums have been paid when due) and (B) no material assets of the
Company are or would reasonably be expected to be subject to a lien pursuant to
the Code or ERISA with respect to any Company Plan. No notice of a
“reportable event,” within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA for which
the reporting requirement has not been waived or extended, other than pursuant
to PBGC Reg. Section 4043.33 or 4043.66, has been required to be filed for
any Company Plan within the twenty-four (24) month period ending on the date
hereof or will be required to be filed in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.
(iii) No
Company Plan provides welfare coverage that extends after the termination of
employment other than for continued coverage provided pursuant to the
requirements of Section 4980B of the Code or other similar provision of state
law and each Company Plan providing such coverage may be amended, modified or
terminated after the Effective Time without cost or liability other than for
claims for expenses actually incurred prior to the date of such amendment,
modification or termination, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has incurred any current or projected liability in respect of post-employment or
post-retirement health, medical, or life insurance benefits for current, former,
or retired employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
-28-
(iv) No
Title IV Company Plan is a “multiemployer plan,” as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, nor is any Title IV Company Plan a
plan described in Section 4063(a) of ERISA.
(v) There
is no present intention that any Company Plan be materially amended, suspended,
or terminated, or otherwise modified to materially change benefits (or the
levels thereof) under any Company Plan at any time within the twelve (12) months
immediately following the date hereof. Each Company Plan has been
established, operated, and administered in all material respects in accordance
with its terms and applicable Law, including ERISA and the Code. As
of the date hereof, there is no material pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company threatened, litigation relating to the Company Plans. No
transaction has occurred with respect to any Company Plan that, assuming the
taxable period of such transaction expired as of the date hereof, would subject
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to a material tax or penalty imposed by
either Section 4975 of the Code or Section 502(i) of ERISA. Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred or reasonably expects to
incur a tax or penalty imposed by Section 4980 of the Code or Section 502 of
ERISA or any liability under Section 4071 of ERISA, in any such case, in an
amount which, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to
have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(vi) Each
Company Plan intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of
Section 401(a) of the Code has received an affirmative determination
letter from the Internal Revenue Service as to its qualification. No
event has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, and no conditions or
circumstances exist, that could be reasonably likely to result in the loss of
the qualification of such Company Plan under Section 401(a) of the
Code. For each Company Plan with respect to which a Form 5500 has
been filed, no material change has occurred with respect to the matters covered
by the most recent Form since the date thereof.
(vii) There
are no pending, or threatened, claims by or on behalf of any Company Plan, by
any employee or beneficiary covered under any Company Plan, or otherwise
involving any Company Plan (other than routine claims for
benefits). No facts or circumstances exist that could be reasonably
likely to give rise to any such actions, suits or claims. No written or oral
communication has been received from the PBGC in respect of any Company Plan
subject to Title IV of ERISA concerning the funded status of any such plan or
any transfer of assets and liabilities from any such plan in connection with the
transactions contemplated herein. With respect to the Company
Plans, the Company has not been notified (in writing or otherwise) of any
pending, threatened or in progress administrative investigation, audit, or other
administrative proceeding by the Department of Labor, the PBGC, the Internal
Revenue Service or other governmental agencies (including any routine requests
for information from the PBGC), and to the Knowledge of the Company, there are
no such pending, threatened or in progress investigations, audits or
proceedings.
-29-
(viii)
Except as expressly described on Section 6.1(h)(viii) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, no Company Plan exists that, as a result of the execution of this
Agreement, the Offer, shareholder approval of this Agreement, or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (whether alone or in connection with
any subsequent event(s)), could (A) entitle any Company Employee to
severance pay or any increase in severance pay upon any termination of
employment after the date of this Agreement, (B) accelerate the time of
payment or vesting or result in any payment or funding (through a grantor trust
or otherwise) of compensation or benefits under, increase the amount payable or
result in any other material obligation pursuant to, any of the Company Plans,
(C) limit or restrict the right of the Company to merge, amend or terminate
any of the Company Plans, (D) cause the Company to record additional
compensation expense on its income statement with respect to any outstanding
stock option or other equity-based award, or (E) result in payments under
any of the Company Plans which would not be deductible under Section 280G
of the Code. No Company Plan provides for the gross-up or
reimbursement of Taxes under Section 4999 or otherwise.
(ix) No
Company Plan is maintained for the benefit of employees outside of the United
States or is otherwise subject to the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the
United States or a political subdivision thereof.
(i) Compliance with Laws;
Permits.
(i) The
businesses of each of the Company and its Subsidiaries have not been since
December 31, 2007 and are not being, and to the Knowledge of the Company, the
businesses of each of the Company Joint Ventures are not being as of the date
hereof, conducted in violation of any Laws or Orders of any Governmental Entity,
and, since January 1, 2010, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
been given written notice of, or been charged with, any violation of any Law or
Order of any Governmental Entity, except, in each case, for any such violations
which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to
have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its
Subsidiaries have all Permits necessary to conduct their businesses as presently
conducted, and such Permits are in full force and effect, and no suspension or
cancellation of such Permits is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened in writing, except where such failure to have or, be in full force
and effect, or such suspension or cancellation would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
(ii) The
Company has designed and implemented disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that are effective to ensure that
material information required to be disclosed by the Company is made known to
the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s filings with
the SEC.
-30-
(iii) Except
as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company has disclosed, based on the most
recent evaluation of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
prior to the date hereof, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of
the Board of Directors of the Company (A) any significant deficiencies and
material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect in any material respect the Company’s
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information and
(B) any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a
significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(iv) The
Company is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable listing
and corporate governance rules and regulations of the NYSE.
(v) To
the Company’s Knowledge, (A) none of the Company, its Subsidiaries or their
respective employees and representatives have (1) used any corporate, Company
(and/or Subsidiary) funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or
other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (2) made any direct or
indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government employee or
official from corporate funds; or (3) violated any provision of
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and any rules
or regulations promulgated thereunder (“FCPA”);
(B) the Company and its Subsidiaries make and keep books, records, and accounts
that accurately and fairly reflect transactions and the distribution of the
Company’s and the Subsidiaries’ assets, and to devise and maintain a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that
transactions are taken in accordance with management’s directives and are
properly recorded, in each case in accordance with the FCPA; and (C) the Company
and its Subsidiaries have effective disclosure controls and procedures and an
internal accounting controls system that is sufficient to provide reasonable
assurances that violations of the FCPA will be prevented, detected and
deterred.
(j) Takeover
Statutes. No “fair price,” “moratorium,” “control share
acquisition” or other similar anti-takeover statute or regulation enacted under
state or federal Laws in the United States (with the exception of
Section 203 of the DGCL) (each, a “Takeover
Statute”) is applicable to this Agreement, the Offer, the Merger, the
acquisition by Parent and/or Merger Sub of the Shares in the Offer or the Merger
or the other transactions contemplated hereby. Assuming the accuracy
of the representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Sub set forth in
Section 6.2(h), approval of this Agreement, the Offer, the Continuing Offer
and the Merger by the Board of Directors of the Company constitutes approval of
this Agreement, the Offer, the Continuing Offer and the Merger for purposes of
Section 203 of the DGCL, and the Board of Directors of the Company has approved
each of Parent and Merger Sub becoming an “interested stockholder” for purposes
of Section 203 of the DGCL pursuant to the Offer, the Continuing
Offer and the Merger.
-31-
(k)
Rights
Agreement. The Board of Directors of the Company has taken all
necessary action to render the Rights Agreement inapplicable to the Offer, the
Continuing Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
hereby.
(l) Environmental
Matters.
(i)
Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all, and has not
violated any, applicable Environmental Laws since December 31, 2007 except where
the failure to comply and such violations would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. Since December 31, 2007, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has received any written notice by a Governmental Entity or any
other Person that has not been resolved that alleges that the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is not or has not been in compliance with applicable
Environmental Laws or is otherwise subject to liability relating to any
Environmental Law that, in each case, individually or in the aggregate, would
reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(ii)
Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries possesses and is in
compliance with all Permits required pursuant to Environmental Laws necessary
for its operations as currently conducted, and no suspension or cancellation of
such Permits is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, except
for such failures to possess a Permit or to be in compliance or suspension or
cancellation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) There
are no Environmental Claims pending, or to the Knowledge of the Company
threatened, against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which, individually
or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material
Adverse Effect.
(iv) There
have been no Releases of any Hazardous Material that would reasonably be
expected to be the subject of any Environmental Claim against the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries or otherwise result in liability to the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, and Hazardous Materials are not otherwise present at or about
any facility currently or formerly owned or operated by the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries in violation of or in condition that would reasonably be
expected to result in liability to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
relating to any Environmental Law, except, in each case above, for any which,
individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a
Company Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to, or to the Knowledge of
the Company threatened with, any Orders pursuant or relating to Environmental
Laws or relating to Hazardous Materials which, individually or in the aggregate,
would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
-32-
(vi) None
of the Company and its Subsidiaries has assumed, retained or provided indemnity
against any liability of any other Person relating to any Environmental Law
which indemnity is still in effect, except for such indemnities as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) As
used in this Agreement, the term:
(A) “Environmental
Claim” means any and all administrative, arbitral, regulatory, or
judicial actions, suits, or proceedings, or directives, claims, Liens,
publicly-disclosed investigations or investigations otherwise Known to the
Company, or notices of noncompliance, liability or violation by any Person,
relating to any Environmental Law or Hazardous Material, including those arising
out of (A) the presence, Release, or threatened Release or exposure to any
Hazardous Materials; (B) any liability under or alleged violation of any
applicable Environmental Law; and (C) any and all claims by any third party
seeking damages, contribution, injunctive relief resulting from the Release or
threatened Release of, or exposure to, any Hazardous Materials or otherwise
relating to any Environmental Law.
(B) “Environmental
Laws” means all Laws, regulations, authorizations, orders, judgments,
injunctions or decrees, relating to pollution, the environment (including
ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata, or
the indoor environment), natural resources, or relating to the use, treatment,
storage, Release, threatened Release, handling, installation, disposal,
transport, recycling of or exposure to Hazardous Materials.
(C) “Hazardous
Materials” means any waste, pollutant or contaminant or any chemical,
material, substance or waste, which is regulated as harmful, hazardous, or
injurious to human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources under
any Environmental Law or that would otherwise reasonably be expected to result
in liability under any Environmental Law, including petroleum and petroleum
products, asbestos, and asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated
biphenyls, lead-containing paint and mercury.
(D) “Release”
means any release, spill, emission, leaking, injection, deposit, disposal,
discharge, dispersal, leaching, abandonment, pumping, pouring, emptying,
dumping, escape or migration.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries make no affirmative representation or warranty
concerning the applicability of, Environmental Claims related to, Permits
claimed by any Person to be required by, pollution control technology claimed by
any Person to be required under, or compliance with, any new source review
requirements under the Federal Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq., any new
source performance standard under the Federal Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §7411,
any requirement regarding the control or permitting of emissions of hazardous
air pollutants under the Federal Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. §7412, or any state
analog thereto, in each case regarding any major modification or analogous term
as defined by the Federal Clean Air Act or any state analog thereto undertaken
at any plant owned or operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
(collectively “NSR
Matters”) other than that none of the Company and its Subsidiaries has
received, and, to the Knowledge of the Company, there is no threatened, notice
from any Governmental Entity or any other Person that alleges any of the Company
and its Subsidiaries is subject to any liability or obligation relating to any
NSR Matter that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
-33-
(m) Taxes. Except
as to matters that would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material
Adverse Effect:
(i)
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have timely filed (or there have been
filed on their behalf) with appropriate taxing authorities all Tax Returns
required to be filed by them on or prior to the date hereof (taking into account
extensions), such Tax Returns are materially correct, and all amounts shown to
be due and payable thereon have been duly and timely paid and the Company and
each of its Subsidiaries have also timely withheld all Taxes that were required
to have been withheld;
(ii)
there are no audits, claims, or judicial proceedings now pending or
threatened by any taxing authority with respect to Taxes of the Company and its
Subsidiaries and no deficiencies for any Taxes have been proposed or assessed in
writing against or with respect to any Taxes due by or Tax Returns of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the Knowledge of the Company,
since December 31, 2007, no written claim has been made by any Governmental
Entity in a jurisdiction where neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
files Tax Returns that it is or may be subject to taxation by that
jurisdiction;
(iii) to
the Knowledge of the Company, there are no Liens for Taxes upon any assets of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for Liens for Taxes (i) not
yet due and payable or (ii) that are being contested in good faith through
appropriate proceedings;
(iv) there
are no outstanding waivers to extend the statutory period of limitations
applicable to the assessment or collection of any Taxes against the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries;
(v) neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has participated in any “listed
transactions” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4;
or
(vi) neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has any liability for the Taxes of
any Person (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) under Treasury
Regulations Section 1.1502-6 or any similar provision of state, local or foreign
Law, (ii) is a party to or bound by any Tax sharing agreement, Tax
allocation agreement or Tax indemnity agreement (other than the Company Material
Contracts or any commercial agreements or contracts not primarily related to
Tax), (iii) has entered into any closing agreement pursuant to Section 7121 of
the Code or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law, or (iv) has
been either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a
transaction intended to be governed by Section 355 of the Code during the
two-year period ending on the date of this Agreement;
-34-
(vii) as
used in this Agreement, the term:
(A) “Tax”
(including, with correlative meaning, the term “Taxes”)
means taxes including federal, state, local and foreign income, profits,
franchise, gross receipts, customs duty, stamp, payroll, sales, use, employment,
property, withholding, excise, ad valorem production, value added, and similar
taxes or charges, together with all interest, penalties and additions imposed
with respect thereto, and
(B) “Tax
Return” means returns and reports required to be filed with a Tax
authority relating to Taxes (including any attached schedules and any amendments
to such returns and reports).
(n) Labor
Matters.
(i)
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is party to any
collective bargaining agreement or other contract with any labor union or
similar representative of employees;
(ii) with
respect to assets and/or operations currently owned by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (the “Current
Assets”), there are no ongoing or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened union organizing or decertification efforts with respect to any
employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and no such activities have
occurred within the two (2) years preceding the date of this Agreement with
respect to such Current Assets;
(iii) with
respect to the Current Assets, there are no pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company, threatened employee strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, picketing,
lockouts or other material labor disputes with respect to any employees of the
Company or its Subsidiaries, and no such disputes have occurred during the two
(2) years preceding the date of this Agreement with respect to such Current
Assets;
(iv) the
Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all
Laws respecting employment and employment practices, including but not limited
to provisions thereof pertaining to terms and conditions of employment,
collective bargaining, immigration, wages and hours (including, the proper
classification of individuals as employees or contractors under applicable
Laws), plant closing or mass layoff statutes and regulations, non-discrimination
in employment, workers compensation, contract (express and implied) and tort
law, the collection and payment of withholding and/or payroll taxes and similar
taxes (except for any non-compliance which, individually or in the aggregate,
would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect);
and
-35-
(v) no
material unfair labor practice charge or complaint is pending or, to
the Knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(o) Intellectual
Property.
(i) All
registered or applied for material Intellectual Property that is owned by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as of the date of this Agreement (together
with all other Intellectual Property owned by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, the “Company
Intellectual Property”) is, to the Knowledge of the Company, valid,
subsisting and enforceable. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries
(i) solely owns, free and clear of all Liens, other than non-exclusive licenses
entered into in the ordinary course of business, all right, title and interest
in and to the Company Intellectual Property, and (ii) owns or has the right to
use all other Intellectual Property used in the Company’s and such Subsidiaries’
businesses as presently conducted, except for any failures which, individually
or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material
Adverse Effect.
(ii) To
the Knowledge of the Company, the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ businesses as
presently conducted do not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the
Intellectual Property rights of any Person, and no Person has asserted in
writing to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries within the six (6) months
preceding the date of this Agreement that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated its Intellectual Property
rights. There is no litigation, opposition, cancellation, proceeding
or claim pending, so asserted or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened
(including “cease and desist” letters or requests to take a patent license)
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries concerning (A) the ownership,
validity, registrability, patentability, or enforceability of the Company
Intellectual Property, or (B) the infringement or misappropriation by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any Intellectual Property of a third
party. To the Knowledge of the Company, no Person has infringed or
misappropriated in any material manner the Company Intellectual Property
rights.
(iii) Except
as, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a
Company Material Adverse Effect, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
will not impair the right, title or interest of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in or to the Company Intellectual Property and all of the Company
Intellectual Property will be owned or available for use by the Company and each
of its Subsidiaries immediately after the Closing Date.
-36-
(iv) For
purposes of this Agreement,
(A) “Intellectual
Property” means any and all: (i) trademarks, service marks,
brand names, collective marks, Internet domain names, logos, symbols, trade
dress, trade names, business names, corporate names, slogans, designs and other
indicia of origin, together with all translations, adaptations, derivations and
combinations thereof, all applications, registrations and renewals for the
foregoing, and all goodwill associated therewith and symbolized thereby; (ii)
patents and patentable inventions (whether or not reduced to practice), all
improvements thereto, and all invention disclosures and applications therefor,
together with all divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, revisions,
renewals, extensions, reexaminations and reissues in connection therewith; (iii)
Trade Secrets; (iv) copyrights in published and unpublished works of authorship
(including databases and other compilations of information), and all
registrations and applications therefor, and all renewals, extensions,
restorations and reversions thereof; and (v) other intellectual property
rights.
(B) “Trade
Secrets” means, collectively, confidential proprietary business
information, trade secrets and know-how, including processes, schematics,
business and other methods, technologies, techniques, protocols, formulae,
drawings, prototypes, models, designs, unpatentable discoveries and
inventions.
(p) Insurance. Except
for failures to maintain insurance or self-insurance that, individually or in
the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a
Company Material Adverse Effect, since January 1, 2008, each of the Company
and its Subsidiaries and their respective properties and assets has been
continuously insured with reputable insurers or has self-insured, in each case
in such amounts and with respect to such risks and losses as reasonable in light
of the business conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries and the risks
insured thereunder. All material insurance policies of the Company
and each of its Subsidiaries are in full force and effect, all premiums due and
payable under all such policies and Contracts have been paid and the Company and
its Subsidiaries are otherwise in compliance in all respects with the terms of
such policies and Contracts, except for such failures to be in full force and
effect, to pay any premiums or to be in compliance which would not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company
has not received any notice of termination or cancellation or denial of coverage
with respect to any insurance policy other than customary notices received at
the end of policy periods.
(q) Real
Property.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have (x) good and marketable title to all real
property owned in fee by them (the “Owned
Real Property”) and (y) valid title to the leasehold estate (as
lessee) in all real property and interests in real property leased or subleased
by them as lessee or sublessee (the “Leased
Real Property”) and (z) valid title to the material easement or other
material estate in all real property and interests in real property held by them
under material easements or other material agreements creating an interest in
such real property (the “Other
Real Property” and together with the Owned Real Property and the Leased
Real Property, the “Real
Property”), in each case free and clear of all Liens, except the
following ((A) through (F) of the following being “Permitted
Liens”):
-37-
(A) Liens
that secure Indebtedness or other obligations as reflected on the Company
Financial Statements or Indebtedness or other obligations listed on
Section 6.1(q)(i)(A) of the Company Disclosure Letter;
(B) easements,
covenants, conditions, rights of way, encumbrances, restrictions, defects of
title and other similar matters of public record (other than such matters that,
individually or in the aggregate, materially adversely impair the conduct of the
business of the Company or its Subsidiaries as currently conducted at the
facility associated with the Real Property);
(C) zoning,
planning, building and other applicable Laws regulating the use, development and
occupancy of real property and Permits, consents and rules under such Laws
(other than such matters that, individually or in the aggregate, materially
adversely impair the conduct of the business of the Company or its Subsidiaries
as currently conducted at the facility associated with the Real
Property);
(D) Liens
that have been placed by a third party on the fee title of Leased Real Property
that are subordinate to the rights therein of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or that, if foreclosed, would not materially adversely impair the
conduct of the business of the Company or its Subsidiaries as currently
conducted at the facility associated with the Real Property);
(E) mechanics,
materialmens’, or laborers’ Liens for work or services performed or equipment,
machinery, materials, or other items furnished in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice of the Company or of its Subsidiaries
that (x) are for amounts not then due and payable or delinquent or
(y) have been released, discharged or otherwise removed of record by the
posting or filing of a xxxx xxxx or similar bond, in form and substance as
required by applicable Law to release or discharge the Lien; and
(F) such
other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, do not materially impair
the use, operation, value or marketability of the specific parcel of Real
Property to which they relate or the conduct of the business of the Company and
its subsidiaries as presently conducted at such specific parcel of real
property.
(ii) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is obligated under, or a party to, any
option, right of first refusal or other contractual right or obligation to sell,
assign or dispose of any material Owned Real Property or any portion thereof or
interest therein.
-38-
For
purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness”
means all indebtedness of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, determined in
accordance with GAAP other than trade payables and receivables in the ordinary
course of business, including (i) borrowed money (other than intercompany
indebtedness), (ii) notes payable, (iii) capital leases,
(iv) obligations evidenced by letters of credit, (v) obligations under
earn out obligations or arrangements creating any obligation with respect to the
deferred purchase price of property, (vi) interest rate or currency
obligations, including swaps, xxxxxx or similar arrangements and (vii) any
guarantee of any of the foregoing.
(r) Contracts. Except
for this Agreement, as of the date of this Agreement the Company has filed as an
exhibit to a Company SEC Report each note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of
trust, license, franchise, permit, concession, contract, lease or other
instrument, obligation or agreement of any kind (collectively, “Contracts”)
the Company is required to file as a “material contract” with the SEC
pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act (the
“Company
Material Contracts”). Each Company Material Contract is valid
and binding on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries party thereto, and, to the
Knowledge of the Company, each other party thereto, and is in full force and
effect, subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws relating to or affecting the rights
of creditors generally and to general principles of equity, and neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any
other party thereto is in default or breach in any respect under the terms of
any such Contract, and no event has occurred that, with or without notice or
lapse of time or both, would result in a breach or constitute a default by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is party thereto, except, in each case,
for such failure to be valid and binding or in full force and effect, or such
default or breach as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. As of the date of
this Agreement, the Company has not received any written notice from any other
party to any Company Material Contract that such third party intends to
terminate any Company Material Contract.
(s) Trading. The
Board of Directors of the Company has adopted a corporate risk policy that
contains commodities risk policies (the “Commodity
Risk Policy”) with respect to risk parameters, limits and guidelines (the
“Company
Trading Guidelines”). As of the date of this Agreement, except
for exceptions approved in accordance with the Commodity Risk Policy, the
Company and its Subsidiaries are operating in compliance with the Commodity Risk
Policy in all material respects and all Derivative Products of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries were entered into in accordance with the Commodity Risk
Policy and Company Trading Guidelines.
-39-
(t) Regulation as a
Utility. Except for regulation by FERC under the FPA, the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (as an exempt holding company), the
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, as amended (“PURPA”) or, in the
case of Dynegy Danskammer, L.L.C. and Dynegy Roseton, L.L.C., regulation by the
NYPSC, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or “affiliates” (under
and as defined in the FPA and rules and regulations of FERC promulgated
thereunder) is subject to regulation as a public utility holding company, public
utility or public service company (or similar designation) by any Governmental
Entity. Each Subsidiary or “affiliate” (under and as defined in the
FPA and rules and regulations of FERC promulgated thereunder) of the Company
(other than any such Subsidiary of the Company that owns one or more facilities
that constitute a “qualifying facility” as such term is defined under PURPA and
the rules and regulations of FERC as of the date hereof and that are entitled to
exemption from regulation under Section 205 of the FPA (an “Exempt Qualifying
Facility”)) selling electric energy, capacity and/or certain ancillary services
at wholesale has been authorized by FERC to make wholesale sales of electric
energy, capacity and/or certain ancillary services at market-based rates
pursuant to Section 205 of the FPA, and, as of the date hereof, has been granted
customary waivers and other blanket authority (including with respect to the
issuance of securities and assumption of liabilities pursuant to Section 204 of
the FPA), which, as of the date hereof, blanket authority and waivers have not
been limited or its rates subject to refund, in each case in any material
respect, other than through (i) rate caps and mitigation measures generally
applicable to similarly situated marketers or generators selling electricity,
capacity, and certain ancillary services or other products or services at
wholesale at market-based rates in the geographic market where such of its
Subsidiaries conducts its business, and (ii) restrictions imposed through
“reliability must run” agreements and/or other agreements/arrangements with
independent system operators or regional transmission
organizations.
(u) Brokers and
Finders. Neither the Company nor any of its officers,
directors or employees has employed any broker or finder or incurred any
liability for any brokerage fees, commissions or finder’s fees in connection
with the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated in this
Agreement except that the Company has employed Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co. and
Xxxxxxxxx & Co., Inc. as its financial advisors, whose fees and expenses
will be paid by the Company in accordance with the Company’s agreement with such
firms.
6.2. Representations and
Warranties of Parent and Merger Sub. Except
as set forth in the corresponding sections or subsections of the disclosure
letter delivered to the Company by Parent prior to entering into this Agreement
(the “Parent
Disclosure Letter“) (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any
section or subsection of the Parent Disclosure Letter shall be deemed disclosure
with respect to any other section or subsection to which the relevance of such
item is reasonably apparent), Parent and Merger Sub each hereby represent and
warrant to the Company that:
(a) Organization, Good Standing
and Qualification. Each of Parent and Merger Sub is a legal
entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (with respect to
jurisdictions that recognize the concept of good standing) under the Laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization and has all requisite corporate or similar
power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to
carry on its business as presently conducted and is qualified to do business and
is in good standing (with respect to jurisdictions that recognize the concept of
good standing) as a foreign corporation or other legal entity in each
jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its assets or
properties or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where
any such failure to be so organized, validly existing, qualified, in good
standing or to have such power or authority would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent, materially delay or materially
impede the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
-40-
(b) Corporate
Authority. No vote of holders of capital stock or membership
interests of Parent is necessary to approve this Agreement, the Offer, the
Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby. Each of Parent and
Merger Sub has all requisite corporate or similar power and authority and has
taken all corporate action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform
its obligations under this Agreement (other than adoption of this Agreement by
Parent as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, which adoption will occur promptly
following the execution of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.13) and to
consummate the Offer and the Merger. This Agreement has been duly
executed and delivered by each of Parent and Merger Sub and, assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Company, constitutes a valid
and binding obligation of Parent and Merger Sub, enforceable against each of
Parent and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy
and Equity Exception.
(c) Governmental Filings; No
Violations; Etc.
(i) Except
for (i) compliance with, and filings under, the HSR Act;
(ii) compliance with, and filings under, the Exchange Act and the
Securities Act, including the filing with the SEC of the Proxy Statement and the
filing and dissemination of the Offer Documents, including filing of the
Schedule TO; (iii) compliance with state securities, takeover and “blue sky”
Laws and the filing of documents with various state securities authorities
that may be required in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby;
(iv) the filing of the Certificate of Merger and other appropriate merger
documents required by the DGCL with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware; (v) the filing of a petition to, and the approval of, or a
determination that no approval is required, of the NYPSC under the New York
Public Service Law; (vi) the FCC Pre-Approvals; (vii) compliance with
the applicable requirements of the NYSE; (viii) the filing of an
application to, or the filing of an amendment to the Prior Application to, and
approval of, the FERC under Section 203 of the FPA; (ix) such other
items as disclosed in Section 6.2(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter; and
(x) filings and notices required as a result of facts and circumstances solely
attributable to the Company (the items set forth above in clauses
(i) through (ix), the “Parent
Required Governmental Approvals”), no Permit or Order or action of,
registration, declaration or filing with or notice to any Governmental Entity is
necessary or required to be obtained or made in connection with the execution
and delivery of this Agreement by Parent and Merger Sub, the performance by
Parent and Merger Sub of their respective obligations hereunder or the
consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
hereby by Parent and Merger Sub, other than such items that the failure to make
or obtain, as the case may be, individually or in the aggregate, would not be
reasonably likely to prevent or materially delay or materially impede the
ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
-41-
(ii) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Parent and Merger Sub does
not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not,
result in a Violation pursuant to any provisions of (i) the certificate of
incorporation, bylaws, certificate of formation, limited liability company
operating agreement or similar governing documents of Parent or Merger Sub, (ii)
the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or similar governing documents of any
Subsidiary of Parent, (iii) subject to obtaining the Parent Required
Governmental Approvals, any Order, Permit or Law applicable to Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, or
(iv) subject to obtaining the third-party consents set forth in Section
6.2(c)(ii) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, any Contract to which Parent or any
of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which they or any of their respective
properties or assets may be bound, except in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) or
(iv) for any such Violation which, individually or in the aggregate, would
not be reasonably likely to prevent or materially delay or materially impede the
ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Litigation.
(i) As
of the date of this Agreement, there are no pending or, to the Knowledge of
Parent, threatened claims, suits, actions or other proceedings before any
Governmental Entity or any arbitrator, nor were there, to the Knowledge of
Parent, any investigations, audits, or reviews by any Governmental Entity or any
arbitrator pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened against Parent or
any of its Subsidiaries which, individually or in the aggregate, would be
reasonably likely to prevent or materially delay or materially impede the
ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ii) As
of the date of this Agreement, there are no Orders of any Governmental Entity or
any arbitrator applicable to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries except for such
Orders that, individually or in the aggregate, would not be reasonably likely to
prevent or materially delay or materially impede the ability of Parent or Merger
Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement.
(e) Available
Funds. Parent has cash, cash equivalents or readily marketable
securities available to it on the date hereof in an amount sufficient (the
“Sufficient
Amount”) to pay (i) the Offer Price and Per Share Merger Consideration in
respect of all of the Shares and all amounts in respect of shares of Company
Restricted Stock pursuant to Section 5.3(b), in each case, without any increase
in the Indebtedness or other obligations of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, or use of the assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
(ii) any and all fees and expenses required to be paid by Parent, Merger Sub and
the Surviving Corporation in connection with the Merger and the Offer and (iii)
all amounts required to satisfy Parent’s obligations to provide financing
pursuant to Section 7.17 of this Agreement.
-42-
(f) Capitalization. The
authorized capital stock of Merger Sub consists solely of 1,000 shares of
common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of which 100 shares of common stock are
validly issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement. All
of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Merger Sub is, and at the
Effective Time will be, owned by Parent or a direct or indirect wholly owned
Subsidiary of Parent, free and clear of all Liens. All of the
membership interests of Parent are owned beneficially and of record by
Guarantor. Merger Sub has not, except for executing and delivering
this Agreement, conducted any business prior to the date hereof and has no, and
prior to the Effective Time will have no, assets, liabilities or obligations of
any nature, other than, with respect to all of the foregoing, as may be incident
to its formation or otherwise as may arise or exist in connection with its
entering into this Agreement and the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement. As of the
Effective Time, Merger Sub will not have any indebtedness, obligations or
liabilities except for its obligations under this Agreement.
(g) Brokers. No
agent, broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage,
finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of
Parent or Merger Sub for which the Company could have any liability in a
circumstance where the Merger is not consummated.
(h) Ownership of
Shares. Neither Parent nor Merger Sub nor any of their
“affiliates” or “associates” is, and at no time during the three years preceding
the date of this Agreement has been, an “interested stockholder” of the Company,
as such quoted terms are defined in Section 203 of the DGCL (it being agreed and
understood that neither Parent nor Merger Sub nor any of their “affiliates” or
“associates” shall be deemed to become, nor shall any such person be
deemed to be in breach of this representation if it does become, an
“interested stockholder” of the Company by virtue of:
(1) Parent or Merger Sub or any of their “affiliates” or “associates”
entering into this Agreement or any related documents or agreements or (2) the
approval of the transactions contemplated herein by the Board of Directors of
the Company). Parent, Merger Sub and their respective Affiliates
beneficially own (as used in this Agreement, “beneficial ownership”
means beneficial ownership as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 and
Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) the Shares set forth in Section 6.2(h)
of the Parent Disclosure Schedule (the “Parent
Shares”). As of the date hereof and prior to the Offer
Closing, none of Parent, Merger Sub or their respective Affiliates beneficially
own or will beneficially own any Shares other than the Parent Shares, and
neither Parent nor Merger Sub “owns” any shares of capital stock of the Company
other than the Parent Shares, as such quoted term is defined in Section 203 of
the DGCL.
(i) Regulation as a
Utility. Neither Parent nor Merger Sub nor any of their
Subsidiaries or “affiliates” (under and as defined in the FPA and the rules and
regulations of FERC promulgated thereunder) is subject to regulation
by FERC under the FPA, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, or PURPA,
and none of Parent, Merger Sub or any of their Subsidiaries or “affiliates”
(under and as defined in the FPA and the rules and regulations of FERC
promulgated thereunder) is subject to regulation as a public utility holding
company, public utility or public service company (or similar
designation) by any other Governmental Entity under any other
Law.
-43-
(j) Absence of Certain
Agreements. Neither Parent nor any of its Affiliates has
entered into any agreement or arrangement or understanding (in each case,
whether oral or written), or authorized, committed or agreed to enter into any
such agreement, arrangement or understanding (in each case, whether oral or
written), pursuant to which: (i) any stockholder of the Company would
be entitled to receive consideration of a different amount or nature than the
Offer Price or the Per Share Merger Consideration or pursuant to which any
stockholder of the Company agrees to sell its Shares in connection with the
Offer, vote to adopt this Agreement or the Merger or agrees to vote against any
Superior Proposal; and (ii) other than investment funds or other entities
under common management with Parent, any third party has agreed, as of the date
hereof, to provide, directly or indirectly, equity capital to Parent or the
Company to finance in whole or in part the Offer or the Merger or (iii) as of
the date hereof, any officer of the Company has agreed in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement to (x) remain as an employee of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries following the Effective Time (other than
pursuant to any employment Contracts in effect as of the date hereof), (y)
contribute or roll over any portion of such employee’s Shares, Company Stock
Options, Company Restricted and/or Phantom Stock Units to the Company or its
Subsidiaries or Parent or any of its Affiliates or (z) receive any capital stock
or equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent or any
of its Affiliates.
(k) No Competing
Business. Neither Parent nor any of Parent’s “affiliates”
(under and as defined in the FPA and the rules and regulations of FERC
promulgated thereunder) owns or operates “inputs to electric power production”
as defined in 18 C.F.R. 35.36(a)(4).
(l) Guarantor Financial
Statements. Each of the audited consolidated financial
statements and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of Guarantor
included in or incorporated by reference into all forms, certifications,
reports, registration statements, definitive proxy statements and other
documents required to be filed or furnished by them with the SEC under the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act (such forms, certifications, reports,
registration statements, definitive proxy statements and other documents filed
or furnished since December 31, 2007 and those filed or furnished subsequent to
the date hereof, collectively, the “Guarantor
SEC Reports”) as amended prior to the date hereof (including the related
notes and schedules included therein) has been, and in the case of Guarantor SEC
Reports filed after the date hereof will be, prepared in accordance with GAAP,
consistently applied during the periods involved (except as may be indicated
therein or in the notes thereto and subject, in the case of unaudited
statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments) and fairly presents, or,
in the case of Guarantor SEC Reports after the date hereof, will fairly present,
in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Guarantor
and its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the results of their operations
and consolidated cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of
the unaudited interim financial statements, to normal year-end audit
adjustments.
(m) No Other Company
Representations or Warranties. Except for the representations
and warranties set forth in Section 6.1, Parent and Merger Sub hereby
acknowledge and agree that neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor
any of their respective stockholders, directors, officers, employees,
affiliates, advisors, agents or representatives, nor any other Person, has made
or is making any other express or implied representation or warranty with
respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective business
or operations, including with respect to any information provided or made
available to Parent or Merger Sub. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
nothing in this Section 6.2(m) or this Agreement shall (i) relieve any
Person of liability for fraud, (ii) prevent Parent and Merger Sub from
relying on the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this
Agreement and any certificates delivered by the Company in connection with this
Agreement or (iii) be given effect in any claim in respect of
fraud.
-44-
(n) Non-Reliance on Company
Estimates, Projections, Forecasts, Forward-Looking Statements and Business
Plans. In connection with the due diligence investigation of
the Company by Parent and Merger Sub, Parent and Merger Sub may receive from the
Company certain estimates, projections, forecasts and other forward-looking
information, as well as certain business plan and cost-related plan information,
regarding the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective businesses and
operations. Parent and Merger Sub hereby acknowledge that there are
uncertainties inherent in attempting to make such estimates, projections,
forecasts and other forward-looking statements, as well as in such business
plans and cost-related plans, with which Parent and Merger Sub are familiar,
that Parent and Merger Sub are taking full responsibility for making their own
evaluation of the adequacy and accuracy of all estimates, projections, forecasts
and other forward-looking information, as well as such business plans and
cost-related plans, so furnished to them (including the reasonableness of the
assumptions underlying such estimates, projections, forecasts, forward-looking
information, business plans or cost-related plans), and that Parent and Merger
Sub will have no claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of
their respective stockholders, directors, officers, employees, affiliates,
advisors, agents or representatives, with respect
thereto. Accordingly, Parent and Merger Sub hereby acknowledge that
none of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective
stockholders, directors, officers, employees, affiliates, advisors, agents or
representatives, has made or is making any representation or warranty with
respect to such estimates, projections, forecasts, forward-looking statements,
business plans or cost-related plans (including the reasonableness of the
assumptions underlying such estimates, projections, forecasts, forward-looking
statements, business plans or cost-related plans). Notwithstanding
the foregoing, nothing in this Section 6.2(n) or this Agreement shall
(i) relieve any Person of liability for fraud, (ii) prevent Parent and
Merger Sub from relying on the representations and warranties of the Company set
forth in this Agreement and any certificates delivered by the Company in
connection with this Agreement or (iii) be given effect in any claim in
respect of fraud.
ARTICLE
VII
Covenants
7.1. Interim Operations.
(a) From
the date hereof and until the earliest of the Acceleration Time and the
termination of this Agreement, except (w) as set forth in Section 7.1(a) of the
Company Disclosure Letter, (x) as otherwise expressly contemplated or expressly
permitted or required by this Agreement, (y) to the extent consented to in
writing by Parent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or
conditioned) or (z) as required by applicable Law, the Company shall, and shall
cause its Subsidiaries to, cause the business of it and its Subsidiaries to be
conducted in the ordinary course, and the Company shall use reasonable best
efforts to, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to use reasonable best
efforts to, preserve its business organizations intact and maintain existing
relations and goodwill with Governmental Entities, customers, suppliers,
employees and business associates. Notwithstanding the generality of
the foregoing, and subject to the exceptions set forth in clauses (w), (x), (y)
and (z) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Company, from the date of
this Agreement through earlier of the Acceleration Time and the termination of
this Agreement, shall not, and shall cause its Subsidiaries not to:
-45-
(i) amend
the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or comparable governing documents of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(ii) issue,
sell, pledge, dispose of, grant, transfer or otherwise encumber any shares of
capital stock, voting securities, partnership interest, membership interest or
similar interest or any option, warrant, right or security convertible,
exchangeable or exercisable therefor or other instrument or right the value of
which is based on any of the foregoing of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (including any Company Equity Awards) (collectively, “Equity
Interests”), other than (A) issuance of Shares pursuant to Company
Stock Options outstanding on date hereof under the Company Plans in accordance
with the terms thereof, (B) issuances of Shares in connection with the
matching of contributions under the (1) Dynegy Midwest Generation, Inc. 401(k)
Savings Plan for Employees Covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (As
Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2009); (2) Dynegy Midwest
Generation, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective January
1, 2009); (3) Dynegy Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective
January 1, 2009); and (4) Dynegy Northeast Generation, Inc. Savings Incentive
Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective January 1, 2009), in each case in
accordance with the terms thereof, (C) the issuance of the Top-Up Option Shares
pursuant to the Top-Up Option and (D) issuances of Equity Interests in
accordance with the Rights Agreement;
(iii) split,
combine, subdivide or reclassify any of its Equity Interests;
(iv) declare,
set aside, establish a record date for, or pay any dividends on or make any
other distributions (whether payable in cash, stock, property or a combination
thereof) in respect of any of its Equity Interests, other than any dividends
(A) from any wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or to
another such Subsidiary of the Company and (B) any dividends or distributions
issued in accordance with the Rights Agreement;
(v) repurchase,
redeem or otherwise acquire any of its Equity Interests, except for
(A) mandatory sinking fund obligations existing on the date hereof and
disclosed in Section 7.1(a)(v) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
(B) redemptions, purchases or acquisitions pursuant to the exercise or
settlement of Company Stock Options, employee severance, retention, termination,
change of control and other contractual rights existing on the date of this
Agreement on the terms in effect on the date of this Agreement, including with
respect to Company Restricted Stock and (C) acquisition or exchange of Rights in
accordance with Rights Agreement;
-46-
(vi) incur,
issue, or modify in any material respect the terms of, any Indebtedness, or
assume, prepay, defease, cancel, acquire, guarantee or endorse, or otherwise
become responsible for (whether directly or indirectly, contingently or
otherwise), the Indebtedness of any Person, except for (A) advances of credit
incurred under the Company’s existing credit facilities in an aggregate amount
not to exceed $2,500,000, (B) letters of credit issued under the Credit
Agreement (x) in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices
for non-trading activities but in any event in an aggregate amount not to exceed
$25,000,000 or (y) in connection with the sale or purchase of Derivative
Products, physical electricity products, or fuel commodities for the Company’s
assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, (C)
letters of credit issued under the Credit Agreement to support positions in
place as of the date hereof, or (D) Indebtedness owed by any wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or any other wholly owned Subsidiary of
the Company;
(vii) grant
or incur any Lien, other than (A) Permitted Liens, (B) Liens for current Taxes,
assessments or other charges of a Governmental Entity not yet due and payable or
which is being contested in good faith through appropriate proceedings,
(C) pledges or deposits by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the
ordinary course of business under workmen’s compensation Laws, unemployment
insurance Laws or similar legislation, (D) good faith deposits in connection
with Contracts (other than for the payment of Indebtedness) or leases to which
the Company or one of its Subsidiaries is a party, in each case, in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice, (E) deposits to secure public
or statutory obligations of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, or to secure
surety or appeal bonds to which such entity is a party, or deposits as security
for contested Taxes, in each case incurred or made in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice, (F) licenses granted to third parties in
the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice by the Company or
its Subsidiaries, (G) Liens required under the outstanding Indebtedness of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof, (H) Liens granted in
connection with any Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.1(a)(vi), and (I)
Liens granted or incurred in connection with the sale or purchase of Derivative
Products, physical electricity products, or fuel commodities for the Company’s
assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices or to
support positions in place as of the date of this Agreement;
-47-
(viii) (A)
except (1) to the extent required by applicable Law or (2) to the extent
required by written agreements existing on the date of this Agreement, grant or
announce any stock option, equity or incentive awards or increase in the
salaries, bonuses or other compensation and benefits payable by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to any of the employees, officers, directors or other
independent contractors who provide services in an individual capacity of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (B) except to the extent required by written
agreements existing on the date of this Agreement, pay or agree to pay any
pension, retirement allowance, termination or severance pay, bonus or other
employee benefit not required by any existing Company Plan to any employee,
officer, director or other independent contractor who provide services in an
individual capacity of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether past or
present, or take any action to accelerate vesting of any right to compensation
or benefits, (C) except to the extent required by written agreements existing on
the date of this Agreement, enter into or amend any Contracts of employment or
any consulting, bonus, severance, retention, retirement or similar agreement,
(D) change any actuarial or other assumptions used to calculate funding
obligations with respect to any Company Plan or to change the manner in which
contributions to such plans are made or the basis on which such contributions
are determined, except as may be required by GAAP, (E) change the accrual rate
for the Company’s short-term incentive plans used to prepare the Company’s
financial statements, (F) forgive any loans to directors, officers or employees
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (G) except as required to ensure
that any Company Plan is not then out of compliance with applicable Law, enter
into or adopt any new or renew, amend or terminate any existing Company Plan or
benefit arrangement if such adoption, renewal, amendment or termination would
result in a material cost to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries;
(ix) hire any employee or
individual independent contractor with total expected annual base salary,
including commissions, in excess of $100,000, other than to fill vacancies
arising in the ordinary course of business at annual base salary levels
not in excess of 120% of prevailing market rates, or, without consulting
with Parent in advance, terminating any such employee or independent
contractor;
(x) other
than in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice,
(A) make or change any material Tax election, or change the Company’s or
such Subsidiary of the Company’s method of accounting for Tax purposes, (B) file
any amended Tax Return involving a material amount of additional Taxes, (C)
settle or compromise any material Tax liability, or any claim for a material
refund of Taxes or enter into any closing agreement with respect to any material
amount of Tax, or (D) agree to an extension or waiver of the statute of
limitations applicable to the assessment or collection of any material Taxes
except, in each case, as required by applicable Law;
(xi) except
as required by GAAP, the SEC or applicable Law, change any material accounting
policies or principles;
(xii) except
in the ordinary course of business (A) enter into or assume any Contract that
would have been a Company Material Contract had it been entered into prior to
the date hereof, (B) terminate, materially amend or waive any material rights
under any Company Material Contract or any Contract that would have been a
Company Material Contract had it been entered into prior to the date hereof
excluding any termination upon expiration of a term in accordance with the terms
of such Company Material Contract or (C) or waive any material default under, or
release, settle or compromise any material claim against the Company or
liability or obligation owing to the Company under any Company Material
Contract; provided in each case
that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall be permitted to renew or
replace any Company Material Contract with one or more Contracts on
substantially similar terms;
-48-
(xiii) subject
to Section 7.16, waive, release, settle or compromise any pending or threatened
action, litigation, claim or arbitration or other proceedings before a
Governmental Entity if such waiver, release, settlement or compromise by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries (A) is for an amount in excess of $2,500,000
individually or $5,000,000 in the aggregate, or (B) would entail the incurrence
of (1) any obligation or liability of the Company in excess of such amount,
including costs or revenue reductions or (2) obligations that would impose any
material restrictions on the business or operations of the Company or its
Subsidiaries;
(xiv) acquire
(including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets) any
interest in any Person or any division thereof or any assets thereof, excluding
acquisitions of supplies, parts, fuel, materials and other inventory in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, or make any loan,
advance or capital contribution to, or investment in, any Person or any division
thereof, other than (A) any such acquisitions, loans, advances, contributions or
investments that are for consideration not in excess of $1,000,000 individually or
$5,000,000 for all such transactions by the Company and its Subsidiaries in the
aggregate or (B) loans, advances or capital contributions to or among the
Company and wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Company;
(xv) sell,
transfer, lease, license, assign, allow to lapse or otherwise dispose of
(including, by merger, consolidation, or sale of stock or assets) any entity,
business, assets, rights or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
having a current value in excess of $1,000,000 individually, or $5,000,000 for
all such transactions by the Company and its Subsidiaries in the aggregate other
than (A) sales, transfers, leases, licenses assignments and other dispositions
of inventory, electricity or other commodities or Derivative Products in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) dispositions of
obsolete or worthless assets or properties in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice or (C) transactions solely among the Company
and/or any of its Subsidiaries;
(xvi) authorize
or make any capital expenditure, other than (A) any capital expenditures
contemplated by the Company’s current business plan, (B) capital expenditures
that are not, in the aggregate, in excess of $5,000,000 above the capital
expenditures provided for in such business plan or (C) capital expenditures
required by Law or in response to a casualty loss or property
damage;
(xvii) adopt
or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger,
consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(xviii) merge
or consolidate the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with and into any other
Person;
-49-
(xix) enter
into, with respect or related to Dynegy Xxxx Landing, LLC, Dynegy Morro Bay,
LLC, Dynegy Oakland, LLC and Casco Bay Energy Company, LLC, any Contracts with a
term extending beyond December 31, 2013;
(xx) fail
to maintain in full force and effect material insurance policies covering the
Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective properties, assets and
businesses in a form and amount consistent with past practice unless the Company
determines in its reasonable commercial judgment that the form or amount of such
insurance should be modified;
(xxi) permit
any letters of credit to be issued other than letters of credit issued under the
Credit Agreement by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Citibank, N.A, Credit Suisse,
Cayman Islands Branch and ABN AMRO BANK N.V.;
(xxii) subject
to Section 7.2, take any action which would reasonably be expected to result in
any of the Tender Offer Conditions or the conditions to the Merger set forth in
Article VIII not being satisfied or delaying the satisfaction of any such
conditions, or that would reasonably be expected to prevent, delay, impair or
interfere with the ability of Parent to consummate the Offer or of Parent,
Merger Sub or the Company to consummate the Merger; or
(xxiii) commit,
authorize or agree to take any of the foregoing actions or enter into any letter
of intent (binding or non binding) or similar agreement or arrangement with
respect to any of the foregoing actions.
(b) Neither
Parent nor Merger Sub shall take or permit any of their Affiliates to take any
action that is reasonably likely to prevent or delay the consummation of the
Offer or the Merger. Prior to making any written communications to
the officers or employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pertaining
to compensation or benefit matters that are directly affected by the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall, to the extent
legally permissible, provide Parent with a copy of the intended communication,
Parent shall review and comment on the communication promptly (but in any event,
Parent shall provide any comments it may have within forty-eight (48) hours
after such communication has been provided to Parent for review), and the
Company shall consider in good faith any comments reasonably proposed by
Parent.
(c) Nothing
contained in this Agreement is intended to give Parent or Merger Sub, directly
or indirectly, the right to control or direct the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’
operations prior to the earlier of the Offer Closing and the Effective Time, and
nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to give the Company, directly or
indirectly, the right to control or direct Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’
operations. Prior to the earlier of the Offering Closing and the
Effective Time, each of Parent and the Company shall exercise, consistent with
the terms and conditions of this Agreement, complete control and supervision
over its and its Subsidiaries’ respective operations.
-50-
7.2. Acquisition
Proposals.
(a) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, during the period
beginning on the date of this Agreement and continuing until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern
time) on January 24, 2011 (the “Go-Shop
Period”), the Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective
directors, officers, employees, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants and
other advisors or representatives (collectively, “Representative”)
shall have the right to: (i) initiate, solicit and encourage any inquiry or the
making of any proposals or offers from any Person or group of Persons with
respect to any Acquisition Proposal, including by way of providing access to
non-public information to any Person pursuant to confidentiality agreements on
customary terms (it being understood that such confidentiality agreements need
not prohibit the making or amendment of a proposal relating to an Acquisition
Proposal); and (ii) engage or enter into, continue or otherwise participate in
any discussions or negotiations with any Persons or groups of Persons with
respect to an Acquisition Proposal or otherwise cooperate with or assist or
participate in, or facilitate any such inquiries, proposals, discussions or
negotiations or any effort or attempt to make any Acquisition
Proposal.
(b) No Solicitation or
Negotiation. Except as expressly permitted by this
Section 7.2, the Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective officers
and directors shall, and the Company shall instruct and cause its and its
Subsidiaries’ other Representatives to, (i) at 12:00 a.m. on January 25, 2011
(the “No-Shop
Period Start Date”) immediately cease any discussions or negotiations
with any Persons that may be ongoing with respect to an Acquisition Proposal and
(ii) from the No-Shop Period Start Date until the earlier of the Effective Time
and the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article IX, not (A)
initiate, solicit or knowingly facilitate or encourage any inquiries or the
making of any proposal or offer with respect to or that constitutes an
Acquisition Proposal, (B) engage in, enter into, continue or otherwise
participate in any discussions or negotiations regarding, or provide any
non-public information or data concerning the Company or its Subsidiaries to any
Person relating to, any Acquisition Proposal, (C) enter into any agreement or
agreement in principle with respect to any Acquisition Proposal (other than a
confidentiality agreement referred to in Section 7.2(a) or Section 7.2(c)) or
(D) otherwise knowingly facilitate any effort or attempt to make an
Acquisition Proposal.
(c) Conduct Following No-Shop
Period Start Date. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement
to the contrary but subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, at any time
following the No-Shop Period Start Date and prior to the earlier of the Offer
Closing and the time Company Requisite Vote is obtained, if the Company or any
of its Representatives receives a written Acquisition Proposal from any Person
that did not result from a material breach of Section 7.2(b), the Company
and its Representatives may contact such Person to clarify the terms and
conditions thereof and (i) the Company and its Representatives may provide
non-public information and data concerning the Company and its Subsidiaries in
response to a request therefor by such Person if the Company receives from such
Person an executed confidentiality agreement on customary terms (it being
understood that such confidentiality agreement need not prohibit the making or
amendment of an Acquisition Proposal), (ii) the Company and its
Representatives may engage or participate in any discussions or negotiations
with such Person and (iii) after having complied with Section 7.2(e), the Board
of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof may authorize, adopt,
approve, recommend, or otherwise declare advisable or propose to authorize,
adopt, approve, recommend or declare advisable (publicly or otherwise) such an
Acquisition Proposal, if and only to the extent that, (x) prior to taking
any action described in clause (i) or (ii) above, the Board of Directors of
the Company or any committee thereof determines in good faith (after
consultation with its outside legal counsel) that failure to take such action could be
inconsistent with the directors’ fiduciary duties under
applicable Law; (y) in each such case referred to in clause (i) or
(ii) above, the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof has
determined in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor) that
such Acquisition Proposal either constitutes a Superior Proposal or could
reasonably be expected to result in a Superior Proposal; and (z) in the
case referred to in clause (iii) above, the Board of Directors of the
Company or any committee thereof determines in good faith (after consultation
with its financial advisor) that such Acquisition Proposal is a Superior
Proposal.
-51-
(d) Definitions. For
purposes of this Agreement:
(i) “Acquisition
Proposal” means (i) any proposal or offer with respect to a
merger, consolidation, business combination or similar transaction involving the
Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or (ii) any acquisition by
any Person or group of Persons resulting in, or proposal or offer to acquire by
tender offer, share exchange or in any manner which if consummated would result
in, any Person or group of Persons becoming the beneficial owner of, directly or
indirectly, in one or a series of related transactions, (A) more than 20% of the
Shares then outstanding or of the total voting power of the equity securities of
the Company, (B) assets that during the most recently completed twelve month
period for which financial information is available generated more than 20% of
the consolidated total revenues of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, or (C) assets constituting more than 20% of consolidated total assets,
measured either by book value or fair market value (including, equity securities
of its Subsidiaries), of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in
each case other than the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(ii) “Superior
Proposal” means an Acquisition Proposal (with the percentages set forth
in the definition of such term changed from 20% to 50%), that the Board of
Directors of the Company or any committee thereof has determined in its good
faith judgment (i) is reasonably likely to be consummated in accordance
with its terms, taking into account all material legal, financial and regulatory
aspects of the proposal (including the financing thereof) and the Person making
the proposal, including the determination that the Person making the Acquisition
Proposal has available to it or can reasonably be expected to be able to obtain
funds on customary terms and that are sufficient to consummate the Acquisition
Proposal and (ii) if consummated, would result in a transaction more
favorable to the Company’s stockholders from a financial point of view than the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including those stockholders, if
any, who would remain stockholders of the Company following the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by such Acquisition Proposal).
-52-
(e) Change in Recommendation or
Alternative Acquisition Agreement. Except as set forth in this
Section 7.2(e), Section 7.2(f) or Section 9.3(a), the Board of Directors of the
Company and each committee thereof shall not:
(i) withhold,
withdraw, qualify or modify (or publicly propose or resolve to withhold,
withdraw, qualify or modify), in a manner adverse to Parent or Merger Sub, the
Company Recommendation with respect to the Offer or the Merger or approve or
recommend, or propose publicly to approve or recommend, or resolve to approve or
recommend, any Acquisition Proposal (it being understood that the Board of
Directors may take no position with respect to an Acquisition Proposal until the
close of business as of the tenth (10th) business day after the
commencement of such Acquisition Proposal pursuant to Rule 14d-2 under the
Exchange Act without such action being considered an adverse modification);
or
(ii) except
as expressly permitted by Section 9.3(a), cause or permit the Company to enter
into any letter of intent, acquisition agreement, merger agreement or other
agreement (other than a confidentiality agreement referred to in
Section 7.2(a) or Section 7.2(c)) (an “Alternative
Acquisition Agreement”) relating to any Acquisition
Proposal.
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, prior to the earlier of
the time, but not after, the Company Requisite Vote is obtained and the Offer
Closing, the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof may, if
the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof determines in
good faith, after consultation with outside counsel, that the failure to do so
could be inconsistent with its fiduciary obligations under applicable Law, (A)
withhold, withdraw, qualify or modify the Company Recommendation, and
(B) approve, recommend or otherwise declare advisable any Acquisition
Proposal that the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof
determines in good faith is a Superior Proposal and take action pursuant to
Section 9.3(a) (clauses (A) and (B) collectively, a “Change
of Recommendation”); provided, however, that the
Company shall not (I) effect a Change of Recommendation in connection with a
Superior Proposal or (II) take any action pursuant to Section 9.3(a) with
respect to a Superior Proposal (collectively, the “Company
Actions”) unless (x) the Company notifies Parent in writing, at least
forty-eight (48) hours in advance, that it intends to take the Company Action,
which notice shall specify the identity of the party who made such Superior
Proposal and all of the material terms and conditions of such Superior Proposal
and attach the most current version of such agreement providing for such
Superior Proposal; (y) after providing such notice and prior to taking such
Company Action, the Company shall negotiate in good faith with Parent during
such forty-eight (48) hour period (to the extent that Parent desires to
negotiate) to make such revisions to the terms of this Agreement as would permit
the Board of Directors of the Company not to take the Company Action; and (z)
the Board of Directors of the Company shall have considered in good faith any
changes to this Agreement offered in writing by Parent in a manner that would
form a binding contract if accepted by the Company and shall have determined in
good faith that the Superior Proposal would continue to constitute a Superior
Proposal if such changes offered in writing by Parent were to be given effect;
provided that,
for the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall not take any Company Action prior
to the time that is forty-eight (48) hours after it has provided the written
notice required by clause (x) above; provided further, that in the
event that the Acquisition Proposal is thereafter modified by the party making
such Acquisition Proposal, the Company shall provide written notice of such
modified Acquisition Proposal and shall again comply with this Section 7.2(e),
except that the Company’s advance written notice obligation shall be reduced to
twenty-four (24) hours (rather than the forty-eight (48) hours otherwise
contemplated by this Section 7.2(e)) and the time the Company shall be permitted
to take the Company Action shall be reduced to the time that is twenty-four (24)
hours after it has provided such written notice (rather than the time that is
the forty-eight (48) hours otherwise contemplated by this Section 7.2(e)) (but
in no event prior to the original forty-eight (48) hour advance notice
period).
-53-
(f) Certain Permitted
Disclosure. Nothing contained in this Section 7.2 shall
be deemed to prohibit the Company or the Board of Directors of the Company or
any committee thereof from (i) complying with its disclosure obligations under
U.S. federal or state Law with regard to an Acquisition Proposal, including
taking and disclosing to its stockholders a position contemplated by Rule 14d-9
and Rule 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act (or any similar
communication to stockholders), or (ii) making any “stop-look-and-listen”
communication to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to Rule 14d-9(f)
promulgated under the Exchange Act (or any similar communications to the
stockholders of the Company); provided, however, that neither
the Company nor the Board of Directors of the Company (or any committee thereof)
shall be permitted to recommend that the Company stockholders tender any
securities in connection with any tender or exchange offer (or otherwise
approve, endorse or recommend any Acquisition Proposal), unless in each case, in
connection therewith, the Company Board (or any committee thereof) effects a
Change of Recommendation in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
(including Section 7.2(e) hereof); provided further that any such
disclosure (including a “stop, look and listen” communication or similar
communication of the type contemplated by Rule 14d-9(f) under the Exchange Act)
shall be deemed to be a Change of Recommendation unless the Board of Directors
of the Company expressly reaffirms the Company Recommendation at least two (2)
business days prior to the earlier of the then-current Expiration Date (if the
Offer has not been terminated pursuant to Section 1.1(f)) and the date of the
Stockholders Meeting.
(g) Notice. The
Company agrees that, from and after the No-Shop Period Start Date, it will
promptly (and, in any event, within twenty-four (24) hours) notify Parent if
(i) any Acquisition Proposals are received by the Company and (ii) any
non-public information is requested from, or any discussions or negotiations are
sought to be initiated or continued with, it or any of its Representatives, and,
in the case of both clauses (i) and (ii) above, will, in connection with such
notice, identify the Person or group of Persons making the offer or the proposal
or seeking such information or discussions or negotiations and include a written
summary of the material terms and conditions of any proposals or offers that are
not made in writing and copies of any requests, proposals or offers, including
proposed agreements, of proposals or offers that are made in
writing. From and after the No-Shop Period Start Date, the Company
shall keep Parent reasonably informed, on a prompt basis (and, in any event,
within twenty-four (24) hours), of the status and terms of any Acquisition
Proposals (including any amendments thereto or any change to the terms or
conditions thereof) and the status of any discussions or
negotiations. The Company agrees that it and its Subsidiaries will
not enter into any confidentiality agreement with any Person subsequent to the
date hereof which prohibits the Company from providing such information to
Parent.
-54-
7.3. SEC Disclosure Filings;
Information Supplied. As
promptly as practicable following the date of this Agreement, the Company shall
(i) prepare the Written Consent Information Statement in preliminary form for
filing with the SEC as soon as practicable following the execution and delivery
of the Stockholder Consent, if applicable, and (ii) prepare and file with the
SEC (and in any event use reasonable best efforts to file within fifteen (15)
business days following the date of this Agreement) the Proxy Statement in
preliminary form. The Company agrees that at the date of their
mailing to stockholders of the Company, if applicable, and with respect to the
Proxy Statement, at the time of the Stockholders Meeting, (i) the Proxy
Statement and the Written Consent Information Statement will comply in all
material respects with the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder and (ii) none of the information supplied
by it or any of its Subsidiaries for inclusion or incorporation by reference in
the Proxy Statement and the Written Consent Information Statement will contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Parent and Merger Sub agree that none of the information
supplied by either of them or any of their Affiliates for inclusion in the Proxy
Statement and the Written Consent Information Statement will contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
7.4. Approval of
Merger.
(a) Merger
Effectiveness. Subject to the terms and conditions contained
in this Agreement, the parties hereto agree to take all necessary and
appropriate action to cause the Merger to become effective as promptly as
practicable in accordance with the DGCL.
(b) Action by Written
Consent. At such time following the Offer Closing that Parent,
Merger Sub and its Affiliates collectively own at least a majority of the
outstanding Shares as of such date, Parent may notify the Company that Parent,
Merger Sub and such Affiliates elect to adopt this Agreement by executing an
action by written consent, signed by Parent, Merger Sub and/or their respective
Affiliates that own the Shares, as the holders of a majority of the outstanding
Shares pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL (the “Stockholder
Consent”) and direct the Company to, in accordance with and subject to
the requirements of applicable Law: (i) as promptly as practicable thereafter,
in consultation with Parent, duly set a record date for an action by written
consent of the stockholders of the Company for the purpose of adopting this
Agreement; (ii) as promptly as practicable after the execution and delivery of
the Stockholder Consent, file the Written Consent Information Statement with the
SEC in preliminary form and cause the Written Consent Information Statement to
be printed and mailed to the stockholders of the Company as promptly as
practicable after the date the SEC staff advises that it has no further comments
thereon or that the Company may commence mailing the Written Consent Information
Statement; and (iii) as promptly as practicable after the Company is legally
permitted to do so under applicable Law, consummate the actions approved in the
Stockholder Consent. Parent and Merger Sub shall execute, or cause to
be executed, the Stockholder Consent with respect to all of the Shares then
owned of record by Parent and Merger Sub and their Affiliates or with respect to
which Parent or Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates otherwise has, directly or
indirectly, sole voting power.
-55-
(c) Stockholders
Meeting. Subject to fiduciary obligations under applicable
Law, if adoption of this Agreement by the holders of Shares is required under
applicable Law and Parent has not notified the Company pursuant to Section
7.4(b), the Company shall have the right any time after February 8, 2011 to (and
Parent and Merger Sub shall have the right, at any time after the later of
February 8, 2011 and the date on which all the conditions set forth in Sections
8.2(c) and 8.3(c) are satisfied or waived, to request in writing that the
Company, and upon receipt of such written request the Company shall as promptly
as practicable) take all action necessary in accordance with applicable Law, the
rules of the NYSE and the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws of the
Company, to duly call, give notice of, convene and hold a meeting of holders of
Shares (the “Stockholders
Meeting”) as promptly as practicable after the date of mailing of the
Proxy Statement, to consider and vote upon the adoption of this Agreement; provided, however, for the
avoidance of doubt, the Company may postpone, recess or adjourn the Stockholders
Meeting, but no longer than reasonably necessary, (i) with the consent of
Parent; (ii) for the absence of a quorum; (iii) to allow reasonable
additional time for the filing and mailing of any supplemental or amended
disclosure which the Board of Directors of the Company has determined in good
faith after consultation with outside counsel is necessary under applicable Law
and for such supplemental or amended disclosure to be disseminated and reviewed
by the Company’s stockholders prior to the Stockholders Meeting; (iv) if
required by Law; or (v) if the Company has provided a written notice to Parent
and Merger Sub pursuant to Section 7.2(e) that it intends to take action
pursuant to Section 9.3(a) and the deadline contemplated by Section 7.2(e) with
respect to such notice has not been reached. Subject to
Section 7.2(e), 7.2(f) and 9.3(a), the Board of Directors of the Company
shall recommend adoption of this Agreement by the holders of Shares, shall
include the Company Recommendation in the Proxy Statement and shall take all
reasonable lawful action to solicit adoption of this Agreement by the holders of
Shares. Notwithstanding any Change in Recommendation, unless this
Agreement is terminated pursuant to, and in accordance with, Article IX or
Parent has notified the Company pursuant to Section 7.4(b), this Agreement shall
be submitted to the holders of Shares at the Stockholders Meeting for the
purpose of adopting this Agreement.
(d) Short Form
Merger. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, following the Offer
Closing and the exercise, if any, of the Top-Up Option, Parent and Merger Sub
and their Affiliates (excluding Shares held by High River Limited Partnership)
shall hold of record, in the aggregate, at least 90% of the outstanding Shares,
the Parties shall take all necessary and appropriate action, including with
respect to the transfer to Merger Sub of any Shares held by Parent or its
Affiliates (other than High River Limited Partnership), to cause the Merger to
become effective as soon as possible after the Offer Closing without the
Stockholders Meeting in accordance with Section 253 of the DGCL.
-56-
7.5. Filings; Reasonable Best
Efforts; Other Actions; Notification.
(a) Proxy
Statement. The Company shall promptly notify Parent of the
receipt of all comments from the SEC with respect to the Proxy Statement and of
any request by the SEC for any amendment or supplement thereto or for additional
information and shall promptly provide to Parent copies of all correspondence
between the Company and/or any of its Representatives and the SEC with respect
to the Proxy Statement and shall provide Parent an opportunity to review and
comment on any such amendment, supplement or response to the SEC and shall
consider in good faith any comments reasonably proposed by
Parent. The Company and Parent shall each use its reasonable best
efforts to promptly provide responses to the SEC with respect to all comments
received on the Proxy Statement from the SEC. To the extent required
by applicable Law in good faith judgment of the Company, the Company shall, as
promptly as reasonably practicable, prepare, file and distribute to the
stockholders of the Company any supplement or amendment to the Proxy Statement
if any event shall occur which requires such action at any time prior to the
Stockholders Meeting.
(b) Information. Subject
to applicable Laws, the Company and Parent each shall, upon request by the
other, furnish the other with all information concerning itself, its Affiliates,
directors, officers and stockholders, and, with respect to Parent, and such
other matters as may be reasonably necessary or advisable in connection with the
Proxy Statement or any other statement, filing, notice or application made by or
on behalf of Parent, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates to any
third party and/or any Governmental Entity in connection with the Merger, the
Offer and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including under
the HSR Act, any other applicable Antitrust Law, the FPA, the New York Public
Service Law and any other applicable regulatory Law.
(c) Status. Subject
to applicable Laws and the instructions of any Governmental Entity, the Company
and Parent each shall keep the other reasonably apprised of the status of
matters relating to completion of the transactions contemplated hereby,
including promptly furnishing the other with copies of notices or other
communications received by Parent or the Company, as the case may be, or any of
its Affiliates, from any third party and/or any Governmental Entity with respect
to the Offer, the Merger, and the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. Neither the Company nor Parent shall permit any of its
Affiliates, officers or any other Representatives to participate in any meeting
with any Governmental Entity in respect of any filings with, or the prosecution
of any filings with such Governmental Entity with respect to the Offer, the
Merger, and the other transactions contemplated hereby unless it consults with
the other party in advance and, to the extent permitted by such Governmental
Entity, gives the other party (either directly or through one of its
Representatives) the opportunity to attend and participate thereat.
-57-
(d) Required Approval
Matters. Without limiting the generality of the other
undertakings pursuant to this Section 7.5 and subject to the other terms
and conditions of this Agreement, each of the Company (in the case of clauses
(i), (ii), (iii)(A) and (iv) of this Section 7.5(d) set forth below) and
Parent (in all cases set forth below) agrees to take or cause to be taken the
following actions:
(i) to
cooperate with each other and use (and shall cause their respective Affiliates
to use) their respective reasonable best efforts to take or cause to be taken
all actions, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably necessary, proper
or advisable on its part under this Agreement and applicable Laws to satisfy the
Tender Offer Conditions and the conditions set forth in Article VIII and to
consummate and make effective the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement as soon as practicable, and preparing and filing
as promptly as practicable all documentation to effect all necessary notices,
reports and other filings, including the Schedule TO, the Offer Documents, the
Schedule 14D-9, the Proxy Statement and any other filings made by, or required
to be made by, the Company, Parent or Merger Sub with the SEC, and to obtain as
promptly as practicable all consents, registrations, approvals, permits and
authorizations necessary or advisable to be obtained from any third party and/or
any Governmental Entity in order to consummate the Offer, the Merger or any of
the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including under the HSR
Act, the FPA and the New York Public Service Law. In furtherance of
and not in limitation of the foregoing, Parent and the Company each shall file
the initial pre-merger notifications with respect to this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated herein required under the HSR Act (which filing,
including the exhibits thereto, need not be shared or otherwise disclosed to the
other party except to counsel of each party) and the filings under the FPA and
the New York Public Service Law, in each case, as promptly as practicable after
the date of this Agreement but in all events within five (5) business days after
the date of this Agreement except, in the case of the required application under
the FPA, unless the parties have previously submitted the amendment to the Prior
Application at the time and in the manner contemplated by
Section 7.5(h)(ii). The Company and Parent will each request
early termination of the waiting period with respect to the Merger under the HSR
Act and any other applicable Antitrust Law. Subject to applicable
Laws relating to the exchange of information, Parent and the Company shall have
the right to review in advance, and to the extent practicable each will consult
with the other on and consider in good faith the views of the other in
connection with, all of the information relating to Parent or the Company, as
the case may be, and any of their respective Affiliates, that appears in any
filing made with, or written materials submitted to, any third party and/or any
Governmental Entity in connection with the Offer, the Merger, and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the Proxy Statement but
subject to Section 7.5(a)). In exercising the foregoing rights,
each of the Company and Parent shall act reasonably and as promptly as
practicable. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Company or
its Subsidiaries to take or agree to take any action with respect to its
business or operations unless the effectiveness of such agreement or action is
conditioned upon the occurrence of the Acceleration Time. For
purposes of this Agreement, “Antitrust
Law” means the Xxxxxxx Act, the Xxxxxxx Act, the HSR Act, the Federal
Trade Commission Act and all other Laws that are designed or intended to
prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of
monopolization or restraint of trade or lessening of competition through merger
or acquisition;
-58-
(ii) to
provide promptly to each and every federal, state, local or foreign court or
Governmental Entity with jurisdiction over any Company Required Governmental
Approval, Parent Required Governmental Approval or otherwise over the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (a “Governmental
Approval Entity”) such non-privileged information and documents as
reasonably requested by any such Governmental Approval Entity or that are
necessary, proper or advisable to permit consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement;
(iii) to
use its reasonable best efforts to (A) obtain promptly all Company Required
Governmental Approvals and Parent Required Governmental Approvals and (B) avoid
the entry or enactment of any permanent, preliminary or temporary injunction or
other order, decree, decision, determination, judgment, investigation or Law
that would delay in any material respect, restrain, prevent, enjoin or otherwise
prohibit consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
including the proffer and agreement by Parent of its willingness to sell or
otherwise dispose of, or hold separate pending such disposition, and promptly to
effect the sale, disposal and holding separate of, such assets, categories of
assets or businesses or other segments of the Company or Parent or either’s
respective Subsidiaries or Affiliates (and the entry into agreements with, and
submission to orders of, the relevant Governmental Approval Entity giving effect
thereto) if such action should be reasonably necessary or advisable to avoid,
prevent, eliminate or remove the actual, anticipated or threatened
(x) commencement of any investigation or proceeding in any forum or
(y) issuance or enactment of any order, decree, decision, determination,
judgment or Law that would delay in any material respect, restrain, prevent,
enjoin or otherwise prohibit consummation of the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated hereby by any Governmental Approval
Entity;
(iv) in
the event that any permanent, preliminary or temporary injunction, decision,
order, judgment, determination, decree or Law is entered, issued or enacted, or
becomes reasonably foreseeable to be entered, issued or enacted, in any
proceeding, review or inquiry of any kind that would make consummation of the
Offer or the Merger, in each case, in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, unlawful or that would delay, restrain, prevent, enjoin or otherwise
prohibit consummation of the Offer, the Merger, or the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, to use its reasonable best efforts to take any
and all steps (including the appeal thereof, the posting of a bond or the taking
of the steps contemplated by clause (iii) of this Section 7.5(d))
necessary to resist, vacate, modify, reverse, suspend, prevent, eliminate, avoid
or remove such actual, anticipated or threatened injunction, decision, order,
judgment, determination, decree or enactment so as to permit such consummation
on a schedule as close as possible to that contemplated by this Agreement, as
the case may be; and
-59-
(v) to
refrain from entering into any agreement, arrangement or other understanding to
acquire any assets or properties that would reasonably be expected to
(i) prevent or materially delay receipt of any Company Required
Governmental Approvals or the Parent Required Governmental Approvals or (ii)
prevent or materially delay Offer Closing or the Closing.
(e) Rule 14d-10(c)
Matters. Prior to the Expiration Date and subject to the terms
of this Agreement, the Company (acting through its Board of Directors and its
compensation committee) will take all such steps as may be required to cause to
be exempt under Rule 14d-10(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act any employment
compensation, severance or employee benefit arrangements that have been or will
be entered into by the Company, Parent or any of their respective Affiliates
with current or future directors, officers or employees of the Company and its
Affiliates and to insure that any such arrangements fall within the safe harbor
provisions of such rule.
(f) Competing
Transactions. Prior to the Effective Time, Parent agrees that
it shall not, and shall not permit any of its “affiliates” (under and as defined
in the FPA and the rules and regulations of FERC promulgated thereunder) acquire
any securities of any other Person or any assets or any other business if such
acquisition would be reasonably expected to materially impede the ability of
Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(g) New York Public Service Law
Application. In the event this Agreement is terminated other
than pursuant to a Tender Termination, the Company shall not object to or move
to delay Parent pursuing any necessary approval from the New York Public Service
Commission for the acquisition of Shares by Parent (or its Affiliates) pursuant
to a Continuing Offer, including any amendments to an existing application or
filing a new application. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 9.3(a) in connection with a Subsequent Transaction, Parent agrees that
it shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, cooperate with the Company to take
all action to withdraw any, and shall not until the Voting Termination Date make
any additional, filings seeking approval from the New York Public Service
Commission for the acquisition of Shares by Parent or any of its
Affiliates.
(h) FERC
Filing. Promptly following the execution and delivery of this
Agreement but in no event later than 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on the fifth
business day following the date of this Agreement, Parent shall either
(i) cause Icahn Partners LP, Icahn Partners Master Fund LP, Icahn Partners
Master Fund II LP, Icahn Partners Master Fund III LP and High River Limited
Partnership to make such filings with FERC as shall be necessary and appropriate
to withdraw the application in Docket No. EC11-22-000 filed by them under the
FPA on November 22, 2010 (the “Prior
Application”) or (ii) to the extent permitted by applicable law,
amend the Prior Application to join the Company as an applicant thereto and have
the Prior Application seek approval of the Offer, the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In the event this
Agreement is terminated other than pursuant to a Tender Termination, the Company
shall not object to: (i) any amendment to the Prior Application
to remove the Company as an applicant thereto, or (ii) Parent pursuing any
necessary FERC approvals, including pursuant to the Prior Application or any
other application, in each of clauses (i) and (ii), in connection with a
Continuing Offer. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section
9.3(a) in connection with a Subsequent Transaction, Parent agrees it shall, and
shall cause its Affiliates to, cooperate with the Company to take all action to
withdraw any, and shall not until the Voting Termination Date make any
additional, filings under the FPA regarding the acquisition of Shares by Parent
or its Affiliates.
-60-
7.6. Access and
Reports. Subject
to applicable Law, upon reasonable prior written notice, the Company shall (and
shall cause its Subsidiaries to) afford Parent’s officers and other
Representatives reasonable access, during normal business hours throughout the
period from the date hereof and though the earlier of the termination of this
Agreement and the Effective Time, to its employees, properties, facilities,
books, contracts and records and, during such period, the Company shall (and
shall cause its Subsidiaries to) furnish promptly to Parent all information
concerning its business, properties, facilities, operations and personnel as may
reasonably be requested, including without limitation, to facilitate the
preparation of the Environmental Report by the Environmental Consultant, provided that no
investigation pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall affect or be deemed to
modify or supplement any representation or warranty made by the Company herein,
and provided,
further, that
the foregoing shall not require the Company (a) to permit any inspection, or to
disclose any information, that in the reasonable judgment of the Company would
result in the disclosure of any trade secrets of third parties or violate any of
its obligations with respect to confidentiality if the Company shall have used
its reasonable best efforts to furnish such information in a manner that does
not result in any such disclosure, including obtaining the consent of such third
party to such inspection or disclosure or (b) to disclose any privileged
information of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries if the Company shall have
used reasonable best efforts to furnish such information in a manner that does
not result in the loss of such privilege. The scope of work for the
Environmental Report may include Phase I protocols, but shall not include (A)
any soil, groundwater, or other invasive testing or sampling or (B) any contacts
with or inquiries to any Governmental Entity. The Company shall use
best efforts to immediately assist Parent and Environmental Consultant in
obtaining publicly available information from any federal, state or local
regulatory agency, as requested by Parent or Environmental
Consultant. All requests for information made pursuant to this
Section 7.6 shall be directed to a Person designated by the
Company. All such information shall be governed by the terms of
Section 7.19. Notwithstanding the foregoing, from and after the date
of this Agreement until the No-Shop Period Start Date, Parent, Merger Sub and
their Representatives shall not (or, to the extent provided prior to the date of
this Agreement, shall cease to) furnish any information, in any form or medium,
written or oral, concerning or relating to the Company and its Affiliates that
is furnished to or on behalf of Parent or Merger Sub by or on behalf of the
Company prior to, on or after the date hereof, and also including, all notes,
analyses, studies, interpretations, memoranda and other documents, material or
reports (in any form or medium) prepared by Parent, Merger Sub that contain,
reflect or are based upon, in whole or part, such information (collectively, the
“Evaluation
Material”) to any Person in connection with such Person’s (A) potential
investment in Parent or its Affiliates or (B) evaluation of the acquisition of
assets of the Company in connection with or following the Closing (the actions
contemplated by the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), a “Third
Party Investment”). From and after the No-Shop Period Start Date, Parent
and Merger Sub may furnish Evaluation Material to any Person in connection with
a Third Party Investment, provided, that Parent
shall have directed such Person to treat any Evaluation Material provided to
such Person in accordance with the confidentiality provisions of Section 7.19
and to perform or to comply with the obligations of Parent and Merger Sub with
respect to any such Evaluation Material as contemplated by Section
7.19. Parent agrees that it will be fully responsible for any breach
of any of the provisions of Section 7.19 by any such Person as though it were a
“Representative” under Section 7.19 unless such Person executes a
confidentiality agreement with the Company on customary terms and
conditions. In connection with a Third Party Investment, the Company
agrees to provide, and shall cause its Subsidiaries and its and their
Representatives to provide, all reasonable cooperation in connection with the
arrangement or consummation of a Third Party Investment as may be reasonably
requested by Parent, including with respect to any customary due diligence
review of such assets that may be requested by Parent such as visits of
properties and facilities of the Company and meeting with appropriate personnel
of the Company (provided that such requested cooperation does not unreasonably
interfere with the ongoing operations of the Company and its
Subsidiaries). Parent shall, promptly upon request by the Company,
reimburse the Company for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs
incurred by the Company, its Subsidiaries and their Representatives in
connection with such cooperation. Parent shall indemnify and hold
harmless the Company, its Subsidiaries and its Representatives from and against
any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses, interest,
awards, judgments and penalties suffered or incurred by them in connection with
the arrangement of any Third Party Investment (including any action taken in
accordance with this Section 7.6) and any information utilized in
connection therewith. Parent and Merger Sub acknowledge and agree
that any Third Party Investment is not a condition to Closing and reaffirm their
obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
irrespective and independently of the availability of any Third Party
Investment, subject to fulfillment or waiver of the conditions set forth in
Article VIII.
-61-
7.7. [Reserved].
7.8. Publicity. The
initial press release regarding the Merger shall be a joint press release and
thereafter (unless and until a Change of Recommendation has occurred or in
connection with Section 7.2(f)) the Company and Parent each shall consult with
each other prior to issuing any press releases or otherwise making public
announcements with respect to the Offer, the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and prior to making any filings with any third
party and/or any Governmental Entity (including any national securities exchange
or interdealer quotation service) with respect thereto, except as may be
required by Law or by obligations pursuant to any listing agreement with or
rules of any national securities exchange or interdealer quotation
service or by the request of any Governmental Entity.
7.9. Employee
Benefits.
(a) Parent
agrees that, during the period commencing at the Acceleration Time and ending on
the first anniversary of the Effective Time, the employees of the Company and
its Subsidiaries (other than those subject to collectively-bargained agreements)
who continue employment with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent,
the Surviving Corporation or any of their Subsidiaries, as applicable, after the
Acceleration Time (“Affected
Employees”) will be provided, unless their employment has ceased, with
total annual cash compensation opportunities and benefits that, taken together,
are substantially comparable in the aggregate to those total annual cash
compensation opportunities and benefits provided by the Company and its
Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Acceleration Time. Following
the Acceleration Time, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall comply with, or
the Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation and any Subsidiary of the
Surviving Corporation or Parent to comply with, as applicable, the provisions of
each of the Company’s change in control severance plans.
-62-
(b) Parent
shall cause any employee benefit plans which the Affected Employees are entitled
to participate in to take into account for purposes of eligibility, vesting and
benefit accrual thereunder (other than any benefit accrual under any defined
benefit pension plan), service for the Company and its Subsidiaries as if such
service were with Parent, to the same extent such service was credited under the
comparable plan of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (except to the extent
it would result in a duplication of benefits). Parent shall, and
shall cause its direct and indirect Subsidiaries (including the Surviving
Corporation) to (i) waive all limitations as to preexisting conditions
exclusions and all waiting periods with respect to participation and coverage
requirements applicable to each Affected Employee under any welfare benefit plan
in which an Affected Employee is eligible to participate on or after the
Effective Time to the extent such limitations, conditions, and waiting periods
were satisfied or inapplicable under the comparable welfare benefit plan and
(ii) credit each Affected Employee for any co-payments, deductibles and
other out-of-pocket expenses paid prior to the Effective Time under the terms of
any corresponding Company Plan in satisfying any applicable deductible,
co-payment or out-of-pocket requirements for the plan year in which the
Effective Time occurs under any welfare benefit plan in which the Affected
Employee participates on and after the Effective Time.
(c) For
all employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than those subject to
collectively-bargained agreements) who continue employment with the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries or the Parent, the Surviving Corporation or any
Subsidiary of the Surviving Corporation or Parent, as applicable, through the
earlier of March 15, 2011, and the date on which the Company otherwise pays
annual bonuses and incentive payments (the “Continuing
Employees”) in the ordinary course of business (the “2011
Bonus Payment Date”), bonuses and incentive payments shall be paid to
such Continuing Employees on the 2011 Bonus Payment Date in accordance with the
Company’s short-term incentive plan and historical past practices; provided that Parent
shall ensure that the aggregate annual bonuses and incentive payments made to
all Continuing Employees, measured as a group, in respect of the 2010 calendar
year are no less than the aggregate amount accrued therefor as of December 31,
2010 for such Continuing Employees.
(d) [Reserved].
-63-
(e) Parent
hereby acknowledges and recognizes that, as of the Acceleration Time, all of the
Company’s and/or the Company’s Affiliates’ contractual obligations with the
unions representing bargaining unit employees of the Company or its Affiliates
will continue, including all contractual obligations under applicable collective
bargaining agreements, as listed in Section 7.9(e) of the Company
Disclosure Letter (subject to future bargaining between the unions and the
Company or the Company’s Affiliates).
(f) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, nothing contained herein shall (i) be treated as an amendment of
any particular Company Plan, (ii) give any third party (including any employee
or dependent or beneficiary of any employee or trustee) any right to enforce the
provisions of this Section 7.9 or (iii) obligate Parent, the Surviving
Corporation or any of their Affiliates to retain the employment of any
particular employee for any period of time or to maintain any particular Company
Plan or benefit, except to the extent otherwise required by Section 7.9(c) with
respect to the bonuses and incentive payments.
7.10.
Expenses. The
Surviving Corporation shall pay all charges and expenses, including those of the
Paying Agent, in connection with the transactions contemplated in Article
V. Except as otherwise provided in Section 9.5, whether or not the
Offer or the Merger is consummated, all costs and expenses incurred in
connection with this Agreement and the Offer or the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be paid by the party incurring
such expense, except for Parent’s reimbursement and indemnification obligations
pursuant to Section 7.6 and Section 7.14.
7.11. Indemnification; Directors’
and Officers’ Insurance.
(a) From
and after the Acceleration Time, the Surviving Corporation agrees that it will
indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable
Law (and Parent shall also advance thereto expenses as incurred to the fullest
extent permitted under applicable Law), each present and former director and
officer of the Company and its Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Indemnified
Parties”) against any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’
fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred in
connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or related to
such Indemnified Parties’ service as a director or officer of the Company or its
Subsidiaries or services performed by such persons at the request of the Company
or its Subsidiaries at or prior to the Effective Time, whether asserted or
claimed prior to, at or after the Offer Closing or the Effective Time, if such
Indemnified Party acted in good faith and in a manner such Indemnified Party
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, and, with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, such Indemnified Party had no reasonable cause to believe
such Indemnified Party’s conduct was unlawful, including, for the avoidance of
doubt, in connection with (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
and (ii) actions to enforce this provision or any other indemnification or
advancement right of any Indemnified Party.
-64-
(b) Prior
to the Acceleration Time, the Company shall and, if the Company is unable to,
Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation as of the Effective Time to obtain
and fully pay the premium for “tail” insurance policies for the extension of (i)
the directors’ and officers’ liability coverage of the Company’s existing
directors’ and officers’ insurance policies, and (ii) the Company’s existing
fiduciary liability insurance policies, in each case for a claims reporting or
discovery period of at least six years from and after the Effective Time from an
insurance carrier with the same or better credit rating as the Company’s
insurance carrier as of the date hereof with respect to directors’ and officers’
liability insurance and fiduciary liability insurance (collectively, “D&O
Insurance”) with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability
that are at least as favorable to the insureds as the Company’s existing
policies with respect to any matter claimed against a director or officer of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries by reason of him or her serving in such
capacity that existed or occurred at or prior to the Effective Time (including
in connection with this Agreement or the transactions or actions contemplated
hereby); provided that the cost of the
annual premium amount for such “tail” insurance policies does not exceed an
amount equal to 300% of the annual premiums currently paid by the Company for
such insurance; provided, further, that prior
to the Company obtaining and fully paying for such D&O Insurance Policies,
the Company shall consult with Parent regarding the procurement of such policies
from an insurer with a claims rating at least equal to such rating for the
Company’s current provider of D&O Insurance and shall permit Parent’s
insurance advisor to participate in the process of negotiating such insurance
and seeking to obtain such insurance on the most cost effective basis, and such
insurance shall not be purchased unless the Company has provided at least 5
business days prior written notice to Parent; it being understood and
agreed that if the Parent’s insurance advisor is able to obtain for
the Company insurance that is less expensive but in all material respects equal
to, the insurance proposed to be purchased by the Parent, then the Company will
acquire such less expensive insurance. If the Company and the
Surviving Corporation for any reason fail to obtain such insurance policies as
of the Acceleration Time or the Effective Time, as applicable, the Surviving
Corporation shall, and Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, continue
to maintain in effect for a period of at least six years from and after the
Effective Time the D&O Insurance in place as of the date hereof with terms,
conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are at least as favorable to
the insureds as provided in the Company’s existing policies as of the date
hereof, or the Surviving Corporation shall, and Parent shall cause the Surviving
Corporation to, use reasonable best efforts to purchase comparable D&O
Insurance for such six-year period with terms, conditions, retentions and limits
of liability that are at least as favorable to the insureds as provided in the
Company’s existing policies as of the date hereof; provided, however, that in no
event shall Parent or the Surviving Corporation be required to expend for such
policies pursuant to this sentence an annual premium amount in excess of 300% of
the annual premiums currently paid by the Company for such insurance; and provided, further, that if the
annual premiums of such insurance coverage exceed such amount, the Surviving
Corporation shall obtain a policy with the greatest coverage available for a
cost not exceeding such amount.
(c) If
Parent or the Surviving Corporation or any of their respective successors or
assigns (i) shall consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or
entity and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of
such consolidation or merger or (ii) shall transfer all or substantially
all of its properties and assets to any individual, corporation or other entity,
then, and in each such case, proper provisions shall be made so that the
successors and assigns of Parent or the Surviving Corporation shall assume all
of the obligations set forth in this Section 7.11.
-65-
(d) The
provisions of this Section 7.11 are intended to be for the benefit of, and shall
be enforceable by, each of the Indemnified Parties, who are third party
beneficiaries of this Section 7.11.
(e) The
rights of the Indemnified Parties under this Section 7.11 shall be in addition
to any rights such Indemnified Parties may have under the certificate of
incorporation, bylaws or comparable governing documents of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, or under any applicable Contracts or Laws. All
rights to indemnification and exculpation from liabilities for acts or omissions
occurring at or prior to the Effective Time and rights to advancement of
expenses relating thereto now existing in favor of any Indemnified Party as
provided in the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or comparable governing
documents of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any indemnification agreement
between such Indemnified Party and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall
survive the Offer and the Merger and shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise
modified in any manner that would adversely affect any right thereunder of any
such Indemnified Party.
7.12. Takeover
Statutes. The
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to take all action necessary so
that no Takeover Statute is or becomes applicable to the Offer, the Continuing
Offer, the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. If any Takeover Statute is or may become applicable to the
Offer, the Continuing Offer, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, the Company and its Board of Directors shall promptly grant
such approvals and take such actions as are necessary so that such transactions
may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated by this
Agreement and otherwise promptly act to eliminate or minimize the effects of
such statute or regulation on such transactions.
7.13. Parent Ownership and
Vote.
(a) Parent
agrees that from the date hereof until the Voting Termination Date, neither
Parent nor any of its Affiliates (each, a “Support
Party”) will directly or indirectly (i) sell, assign, transfer, tender,
pledge, encumber or otherwise dispose of (collectively, “Transfer”)
any of the Parent Shares to a third party, (ii) deposit any of the Parent Shares
into a voting trust or enter into a voting agreement or arrangement with respect
to the Parent Shares or, subject to Section 7.13(b), grant any proxy, written
consent or power of attorney with respect thereto that is inconsistent with this
Section 7.13, (iii) enter into any Contract, option or other arrangement or
undertaking with respect to the direct or indirect Transfer of any Parent Shares
to a third party, or (iv) Transfer, acquire or agree, offer, seek or propose to
acquire any Shares, or Equity Interests, debt securities or notes or
Indebtedness of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or other right to acquire
such ownership, including through any swap agreement or other security, contract
right or derivative position, whether or not presently exercisable, that has an
exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price
related to the value of the Shares or Equity Interests or a value determined in
whole or part with reference to, or derived in whole or in part from, the value
of the Shares or the Equity Interests and that increases in value as the value
of the Shares or Equity Interests increases or that provides to the holder an
opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived
from any increase in the value of the Shares or Equity Interests of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries.
-66-
(b) Notwithstanding
Section 7.13(a) or anything else in this Agreement, from the date hereof until
the Voting Termination Date, Parent shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to,
vote, tender for purchase or deliver a consent with respect to, or cause to be
voted, tendered for purchase or delivered a consent with respect to, any Parent
Shares (it being agreed and understood nothing herein shall require Parent or
any of its Affiliates to exercise any options to purchase Shares, which options
are owned as of the date hereof) (i) from the date hereof until the Voting
Termination Date (x) in favor of the adoption of this Agreement at any meeting
of stockholders of the Company at which this Agreement shall be submitted for
adoption by the stockholders of the Company and at all adjournments or
postponements thereof, and (y) if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 9.3(a), in favor of the adoption of the Alternative Acquisition
Agreement referenced in Section 9.3(a) and any transaction set forth in such an
Alternative Acquisition Agreement and/or into any tender offer contemplated by
such Alternative Acquisition Agreement, if and only if the Superior Proposal
that is set forth in the Alternative Acquisition Agreement (u) provides for the
payment of consideration consisting wholly of cash to holders of Shares, (v)
requires the Person making the Superior Proposal to acquire all of the
outstanding Shares, (w) requires the Person making the Superior Proposal to
agree to pay a termination fee to the Company of at least $100 million if
the Alternative Acquisition Agreement is terminated, which termination fee is
payable in the circumstances that are no less favorable in any material respect
to the Company than those applicable to the “Parent Fee” (as defined in the
Prior Agreement but excluding any references to NRG Energy, Inc.) that was
payable to the Company, (x) is made by a Person that has, and that
unconditionally represents to the Company that it has, a positive net worth of
at least $1.2 billion (based on an audited financial statement for the period
ended December 31, 2009 or later, and which net worth is not contradicted by
later interim statements for its most recently ended fiscal quarter), and
unencumbered cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities
in an amount equal to or greater than the purchase price set forth in the
Superior Proposal, or either (A) such $100 million termination fee obligation of
the Person making the Superior Proposal is guaranteed by a parent,
general partner or manager entity of such Person that has, and has
unconditionally represented to the Company that it has, a positive net worth of
at least $1.2 billion (based on an audited financial statement for the period
ended December 31, 2009 or later, and which net worth is not contradicted by
later interim statements for its most recently ended fiscal quarter) and
unencumbered cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities
in an amount equal to or greater than the purchase price set forth in the
Superior Proposal or (B) such $100 termination fee is deposited into an escrow
account pursuant to an escrow agreement among such Person, the Company and an
escrow agent that will assure payment of the $100 million termination
fee to the Company in accordance with the Alternative Acquisition Agreement,
which escrow agreement shall be on terms acceptable to Parent (x)
requires the Person making the Superior Proposal to unconditionally represent,
and such Person shall have done so, to the Company that it has, a positive net
worth of at least $1.2 billion (based on an audited financial statement for the
period ended December 31, 2009 or later), and which net worth is not
contradicted by later interim statements for its most recently ended fiscal
quarter), and unencumbered cash, cash equivalents and readily
marketable securities in amount equal to or greater than the purchase price set
forth in the Superior Proposal, or either (A) such $100 million termination fee
obligation of the Person making the Superior Proposal is guaranteed
by a parent, general partner or manager entity of such Person that has, and has
unconditionally represented to the Company that it has, a positive net worth of
at least $1.2 billion (based on an audited financial statement for the period
ended December 31, 2009 or later), and which net worth is not contradicted by
later interim statements for its most recently ended fiscal quarter) and
unencumbered cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities
in amount equal to or greater than the purchase price set forth in the Superior
Proposal or (B) such $100 termination fee is deposited into an escrow account
pursuant to an escrow agreement among such Person, the Company and an escrow
agent that will assure payment of the $100 million termination fee to
the Company in accordance with the Alternative Acquisition Agreement, which
escrow agreement shall be on terms acceptable to Parent,
(y) contains conditions to the obligation of the Person making the Superior
Proposal to consummate the Superior Proposal that are no more favorable to such
Person than the conditions to the obligations of Parent contained in Article
VIII hereof and (z) provides that the Person making the Superior Proposal
provides to Parent and its Affiliates, on behalf of itself and its Affiliates,
and on behalf of such Person’s security holders, and on behalf of the Company
and its security holders once the Company merges with or is otherwise acquired
by such Person or any Affiliate of such Person (all of the foregoing,
collectively, the “Releasing
Persons”), the following agreement: the Releasing Persons
hereby waive and release all rights and claims, and agrees not to pursue any
right or claim, to assert, or obtain, any damages, relief or recovery under
Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, that any or all of the Releasing Persons
have or might have, arising out of the Subsequent Transaction, including but not
limited to any claim that the Subsequent Transaction involves or constitutes a
sale, transfer, or disposition of securities by Parent, Merger Sub or any of
their Affiliates or Associates (as defined in the Exchange Act), and agrees to
return to Parent, Merger Sub or any of their such Affiliates or Associates any
monies that any of them nevertheless pays to any of the Releasing Persons in
respect of or arising from any such claim, (such a Superior Proposal, a “Subsequent
Transaction”) and (ii) from the date hereof until the earlier of the
Acceleration Time and the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its
terms, against any proposal made by any holder of Shares
(whether or not such proposal is included in the Company’s proxy or consent
statement) to be considered and voted upon at any annual or special meeting of
the stockholders of the Company or any other action sought to be taken by any
holder of Shares by means of written consent in lieu of such a meeting, if such
vote is recommended by the Board of Directors of the Company.
-67-
(c) Parent
hereby waives and shall cause its Affiliates to waive, to the full extent of the
Law, and agrees not to assert any appraisal rights pursuant to Section 262 of
the DGCL or assert any rights to dissent or otherwise in connection with the
Offer, the Merger or a Subsequent Transaction with respect to any and all Parent
Shares.
(d) Promptly
following the execution of this Agreement, Parent shall execute and deliver, in
accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL and in its capacity as the sole
stockholder of Merger Sub, a written consent adopting this
Agreement.
-68-
(e) For
purposes of this Agreement, “Voting
Termination Date” shall mean the earliest of occur of the following: (i)
the Effective Time, (ii) if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Article IX
other than a termination pursuant to Section 9.3(a) in connection with a
Subsequent Transaction, the date that this Agreement is terminated or (iii) if
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9.3(a) in connection with a
Subsequent Transaction, the first to occur of the date that (1) the transactions
contemplated by such Alternative Acquisition Agreement are consummated, (2) such
Alternative Acquisition Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms or
(3) the Board of Directors of the Company withholds, withdraws, modifies or
qualifies the recommendation of the Board of Directors of the Company that
holders of Shares adopt such Alternative Acquisition Agreement or tender Shares
into any tender or exchange offer contemplated by such Alternative Acquisition
Agreement.
7.14. Financing. Prior
to the Closing, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts, at Parent’s sole
expense, to assist Parent in a refinancing of all or any portion of the
Indebtedness of the Company existing on the date hereof (the “Debt
Financing”), including: (i) participating in a reasonable number of
meetings, presentations and due diligence sessions; (ii) assisting with the
preparation of one customary offering memorandum and one presentation in
connection with the Debt Financing; and (iii) executing and delivering any
definitive financing documents and certificates as may be reasonably requested
by Parent; provided that (a)
irrespective of the above, no obligation of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries under any certificate, document or instrument shall be effective
until the Effective Time and none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
shall be required to take any action under any certificate, document or
instrument that is not contingent upon the Closing (including the entry into any
agreement that is effective before the Effective Time) or that would be
effective prior to the Effective Time, (b) such efforts do not unreasonably
interfere with the ongoing operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and
(c) none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to issue
any offering or information document. None of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries shall be required to bear any cost or expense or to pay any
commitment or other similar fee or make any other payment in connection with the
Debt Financing or any of the foregoing prior to the Effective Time, and Parent
shall, promptly upon request by the Company, reimburse the Company for all
reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Company, its
Subsidiaries and their Representatives in connection with the Debt Financing or
any cooperation pursuant to this Section 7.14. Parent shall indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Representatives from and
against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs, expenses,
interest, awards, judgments and penalties suffered or incurred by them in
connection with the arrangement of the Debt Financing (including any action
taken in accordance with this Section 7.14) and any information utilized in
connection therewith (other than arising from historical information provided by
the Company or its Subsidiaries). The Company hereby consents to the
use of its and its Subsidiaries’ logos in connection with the Debt Financing;
provided that
such logos shall be used solely in a manner that is not intended or reasonably
likely to harm, disparage or otherwise adversely affect the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries. Parent and Merger Sub acknowledge and agree that
the obtaining of the Debt Financing is not a condition to Closing and reaffirm
their obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
irrespective and independently of the availability of the Debt Financing,
subject to fulfillment or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article
VIII.
-69-
7.15. Casualty. If,
between the date hereof and the Offer Closing, there shall have occurred or
there shall occur any physical damage to or destruction of, or theft or similar
loss of, any of the tangible assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (a
“Casualty
Loss”), then (i) if such Casualty Loss is material to the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, the Company shall promptly give notice to Parent
thereof and of the Company’s good faith estimate of the amount of casualty
insurance, if any, payable to the Company in respect thereof and (ii) the
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to replace or repair (as
applicable) the asset or property related to such Casualty Loss. The
Company shall use all reasonable best efforts to collect amounts due (if any)
under insurance policies or programs in respect of any Casualty
Loss.
7.16. Stockholder
Litigation. In
the event that any stockholder litigation related to this Agreement, the Offer,
the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement is brought,
or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, against the Company
and/or the members of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the
Effective Time, the Company shall promptly notify Parent of any such stockholder
litigation brought, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing
against the Company and/or members of the Board of Directors of the Company and
shall keep Parent reasonably informed with respect to the status
thereof. The Company shall reasonably consult with Parent with
respect to the defense or settlement of any stockholder litigation against the
Company and/or its directors relating to the transactions contemplated by the
Offer or this Agreement, and no such settlement shall be agreed to without
Parent’s prior written consent (such consent to be granted or withheld in
Parent’s sole discretion).
7.17. Company
Financing. Parent
agrees that from and after the Offer Closing, it shall provide or cause to be
provided sufficient funding to the Company and its Subsidiaries to
(a) permit them to operate their respective businesses and operations in
the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, including to
replace letters of credit issued under the Credit Agreement, and (b) to the
extent requested by the Company, to repay any outstanding Indebtedness of the
Company and its Subsidiaries that is due and payable in connection with the
Offer Closing; provided, that,
Parent shall not be required to provide or cause to be provided to the Company
funding pursuant to clauses (a) and (b) in excess of $1.0 billion in the
aggregate. Parent further agrees that in connection with the Offer
Closing and/or the Closing, no credit support will be provided by the Company or
any of its Affiliates and that no new Indebtedness of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, nor any assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, may be
used to make any payments to holders of Shares in connection with the Offer
Closing or in the provision of funding to the Paying Agent for the Exchange
Fund. The Company shall provide reasonable cooperation to Parent and
Merger Sub in arranging for the termination of the Credit Agreement at the
Acceleration Time or a waiver of any “change of control” provisions thereunder
that would be triggered at the Acceleration Time and, if applicable, the
procurement of customary payoff letters in connection therewith.
-70-
7.18. FCPA
Matters. If
the Company identifies any activities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
including those activities of their respective directors, officers, managers,
employees, independent contractors, representatives or agents, that the Company
reasonably believes (following due inquiry) to be in violation of the FCPA, the
Company shall and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliates to cease
such activities. The Company shall and shall cause its Subsidiaries
and Affiliates to take all actions required by law to remediate any actions
taken by the Company, its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or any of their respective
directors, officers, managers, employees, independent contractors,
representatives or agents in violation of the FCPA.
7.19. Confidentiality.
(a) From
and after the date of this Agreement until the later of (A) the earlier of
the Acceleration Time or the Voting Termination Date and (B) the Termination
Date, Parent and Merger Sub and the Representatives of Parent and Merger Sub
shall treat all Evaluation Material as confidential, unless and to the extent
(x) permitted by Section 7.6, or (y) such information (i) is or becomes
available to the public generally, other than as a result of disclosure by
Parent, Merger Sub or one of their Representatives in breach of the terms of
this Agreement or (ii) becomes available to Parent, Merger Sub or their
Representatives from a source other than the Company or one of its
Representatives, including without limitation prior to the date hereof, provided
that such source is not, to the knowledge of Parent, Merger Sub or their
Representatives, bound by a confidentiality agreement with, or does not have a
contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality to, the Company
with respect to such information.
(b) Upon
any termination of this Agreement, Parent and Merger Sub shall promptly return
to the Company or destroy and, upon the Company’s written request, promptly
certify in writing that such return or destruction has occurred, all Evaluation
Material received from or on behalf of the Company in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that Parent
and Merger Sub shall be entitled to retain one copy of the Evaluation
Information in its legal files for use solely in connection with any litigation,
arbitration or like action among Parent, Merger Sub and the Company or involving
one or more of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company.
(c) Notwithstanding
anything else in this Agreement, Parent and Merger Sub may make any disclosure
(i) as it determines in good faith and based upon the advice of counsel is
required by, any applicable Law or the applicable rules of any national
securities exchange or other market or reporting system to which it is subject
(in which event Parent and Merger Sub shall, to the extent legally permissible,
notify the Company prior to making such disclosure and consult with the Parent
and Merger Sub as early as practicable prior to any such disclosure regarding
the nature, timing, extent and form of such disclosure) or (ii) as it determines
in good faith and based upon the advice of counsel is required pursuant to the
Securities Laws in connection with Merger Sub commencing and consummating the
Offer.
-71-
(d) In
the event this Agreement is terminated by Parent, then, if requested by the
Parent, either the Company shall publicly disclose any material non-public
information included in the Environmental Report and the Pension Termination
Liability and Pension Asset Value analysis (the “Reports”)
within five (5) business days of such request and provide Parent with a letter
from counsel for the Company (who may be inside counsel) indicating that such
counsel has reviewed the Reports and the Company’s public disclosures and is not
aware of any non-public information in the Reports that the Company would be
required to disclose if the Company were selling or purchasing its own
securities in the market. If the Company fails to provide this letter
from counsel within such five (5) business day period, Parent may disclose any
portion of the Reports that it concludes should be disclosed to assure that
Parent is not in possession of material non-public information.
7.20. Available
Funds. Parent
hereby agrees to maintain the availability of the Sufficient Amount until the
later of the completion of the Merger and the termination of this Agreement in
accordance with Article IX.
7.21. Rights
Plan. From
the date hereof until the earlier of a Tender Termination
or the expiration or termination of the Continuing Offer, the Company agrees
that it shall not amend or modify the definition of “Qualifying Offer” in the
Rights Agreement in any manner that imposes additional requirements for any
tender offer to constitute a “Qualifying Offer” or in any manner inconsistent
with the ability of Parent to continue and consummate the Continuing Offer
pursuant to Section 1.1(h).
ARTICLE VIII
Conditions
8.1. Conditions to Each Party’s
Obligation to Effect the Merger. The
respective obligation of each party to effect the Merger is subject to the
satisfaction or waiver at or prior to the Effective Time of each of the
following conditions:
(a) Stockholder Approval. If
required by applicable Law, this Agreement shall have been duly adopted by
holders of Shares constituting the Company Requisite Vote in accordance with
applicable Law and the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the
Company.
(b) No
Injunction. No Order (whether temporary, preliminary or
permanent) by any Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction prohibiting,
restraining, enjoining or rendering illegal the consummation of the Merger shall
have been issued and be continuing in effect, and the consummation of the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated hereby shall not be prohibited or
illegal under any applicable Law.
(c) Purchase of Shares in the
Offer. Unless the Offer shall have terminated in accordance
with Section 1.1(f), Parent shall have accepted for payment and paid for all
Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the
Offer.
-72-
8.2. Conditions to Obligations of
Parent and Merger Sub. Solely
to the extent the Offer Closing shall not have occurred, the obligations of
Parent and Merger Sub to effect the Merger are also subject to the satisfaction
or waiver by Parent at or prior to the Effective Time of the following
conditions:
(a) Representations and
Warranties. (i) The representations and warranties
of the Company set forth in this Agreement other than those referenced in clause
(ii) below (without giving effect to any materiality or Company Material Adverse
Effect qualifications set forth therein) shall be true and correct as of the
date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of
such date and time (except to the extent that any such representation and
warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such
representation and warranty shall, subject to the qualifications below, be true
and correct as of such earlier date) except where the failures of any such
representations and warranties to be so true and correct, individually or in the
aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect; (ii) the representations and warranties set forth in
(x) Section 6.1(b)(i), Section 6.1(c) and Section 6.1(k) shall be true
and correct in all respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the
Closing Date as though made on and as of such date and time (except to the
extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks of an earlier
date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct
as of such earlier date) (except with respect to the representations and
warranties of the Company set forth in Section 6.1(b)(i), for such inaccuracies
as are de minimis
relative to Section 6.1(b)(i) taken as a whole) and
(y) Section 6.1(f)(i) shall be true and correct without disregarding
the Company Material Adverse Effect qualification contained therein as of the
date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date as through made on and as of
date and time (except to the extent that any such representation and warrants
expressly speaks of an earlier date, in which case such representation and
warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date); and (iii) Parent
shall have received at the Closing a certificate signed on behalf of the Company
by a senior executive officer of the Company to the
effect that such officer has read this Section 8.2(a) and the conditions
set forth in this Section 8.2(a) have been satisfied.
(b) Performance of Obligations
of the Company. The Company shall have performed in all
material respects all obligations required to be performed by it under this
Agreement at or prior to the Closing Date, and Parent shall have received a
certificate signed on behalf of the Company by a senior executive officer of the
Company to such effect.
(c) Regulatory
Consents. (i) The waiting period applicable to the
consummation of the Merger under the HSR Act shall have been terminated or shall
have expired, and (ii) the Company Required Governmental Approvals set forth on
Section 8.1(b)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter shall have been obtained and
such approvals shall have become Final Orders.
-73-
8.3. Conditions to Obligation of
the Company. Solely
to the extent the Offer Closing shall not have occurred, the obligation of the
Company to effect the Merger is also subject to the satisfaction or waiver by
the Company at or prior to the Effective Time of the following
conditions:
(a) Representations and
Warranties. (i) The representations and warranties
of Parent set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material
respects as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date as though
made on and as of such date and time (except to the extent that any such
representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which
case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all material
respects as of such earlier date), except where the failure of such
representations and warranties to be so true and correct does not materially and
adversely affect the ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (ii) the
Company shall have received at the Closing a certificate signed on behalf of
Parent by a senior executive officer of Parent to the effect that such officer
has read this Section 8.3(a) and the conditions set forth in this
Section 8.3(a) have been satisfied.
(b) Performance of Obligations
of Parent and Merger Sub. Each
of Parent and Merger Sub shall have performed in all material respects all
obligations required to be performed by it under this Agreement at or prior to
the Closing Date, and the Company shall have received a certificate signed on
behalf of Parent and Merger Sub by a senior executive officer of Parent to such
effect.
(c) Regulatory
Consents. (i) The waiting period applicable to the
consummation of the Merger under the HSR Act shall have been terminated or shall
have expired, and (ii) the Company Required Governmental Approvals set forth on
Section 8.1(b)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter shall have been obtained and
such approvals shall have become Final Orders.
8.4. Frustration of Closing
Conditions. None
of the Company, Parent or Merger Sub may rely on the failure of any condition
set forth in Section 8.2 or 8.3, as the case may be, to be satisfied to excuse
such party’s obligation to effect the Merger if such failure was caused by such
party’s failure to use the standard of efforts required from such party to
consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
including as required by and subject to Section 7.5.
ARTICLE IX
Termination
9.1. Termination by Mutual
Consent. This
Agreement may be terminated and the Offer and the Merger may be abandoned at any
time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after the adoption of this
Agreement by the stockholders of the Company referred to in Section 8.1(a),
by mutual written consent of the Company and Parent by action of their
respective boards of directors.
-74-
9.2. Termination by Either Parent
or the Company. This
Agreement may be terminated and the Offer and the Merger may be abandoned at any
time prior to the Effective Time by action of the board of directors of either
Parent or the Company if (a) the Merger shall not have been consummated by
February 28, 2011, whether such date is before or after the date of the adoption
of this Agreement by the Stockholders of the Company referred to in Section
8.1(a) (such date, as it may be extended pursuant to this Section 9.2, the
“Termination
Date”); provided, that if on
February 28, 2011 any of the conditions to Closing in Article VIII shall not
have been fulfilled or waived but remain capable of being satisfied, then either
of Parent or the Company may, by written notice to the other delivered on or
prior to the Termination Date, extend the Termination Date from February 28,
2011 to April 30, 2011 (which shall then be the “Termination Date”); provided, further, that (A)
Parent shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.2(a) if the Company has the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant
to Section 9.3(b), and (B) the Company shall not have the right to terminate
this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9.2(a) if Parent has the right to
terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.4(b)); provided, further, that neither
Parent nor the Company may terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section
9.2(a) if the Offer Closing occurs prior to the Termination Date; (b) the
Stockholders Meeting shall have been held and completed and adoption of this
Agreement by the stockholders of the Company referred to in Section 8.1(a)
shall not have been obtained at such Stockholders Meeting or at any adjournment
or postponement thereof; provided, that,
neither Parent nor the Company may terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.2(b) if the Offer Closing shall have occurred; or (c) any Order
permanently restraining, enjoining, rendering illegal or otherwise prohibiting
consummation of the Offer or the Merger shall become final and non-appealable
(whether before or after the adoption of this Agreement by the stockholders of
the Company referred to in Section 8.1(a)); provided, that the
right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9.2 shall not be
available to any party whose failure to fulfill any obligation or other breach
under this Agreement has been the primary cause of, or the primary factor that
resulted in, the failure of any Tender Offer Condition or a condition to the
consummation of the Merger to have been satisfied on or before the Termination
Date.
9.3. Termination by the
Company. This
Agreement may be terminated and the Merger may be abandoned by the
Company:
(a) at
any time prior to the earlier of the Offer Closing and the time the Company
Requisite Vote is obtained, if (i) the Board of Directors of the Company or
any committee thereof authorizes the Company, subject to complying with the
terms of this Agreement, to enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with
respect to a Superior Proposal; (ii) immediately prior to or concurrently
with the termination of this Agreement the Company enters into an Alternative
Acquisition Agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal; and (iii) the
Company immediately prior to or concurrently with such termination pays to
Parent or its designee in immediately available funds the Termination Fee; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 9.3(a) unless (x) the Company has complied with the requirements of
the last paragraph of Section 7.2(e), and (y) the Company did not
receive the Superior Proposal as a result of a breach of Section 7.2 in any
material respect;
-75-
(b) if
there has been a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement
made by Parent or Merger Sub in this Agreement, or any such representation and
warranty shall have become untrue after the date of this Agreement, which
inaccuracy or breach would give rise to a failure of any condition set forth in
Section 8.3(a) or 8.3(b), and such breach or condition is not curable or, if
curable, is not cured prior to the earlier of (A) thirty (30) calendar days
after written notice thereof is given by the Company to Parent or (B) two
(2) business days prior to the Termination Date; provided, however, that the
Company may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9.3(b) if it
is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements hereunder and has received notice of such breach from Parent and been
provided ten days to cure such breach and has not cured such breach within the
10 day period from the date of such notice;
(c) if
(i) all of the Tender Offer Conditions shall have been satisfied or waived as of
the Expiration Date and Parent fails to consummate the Offer promptly thereafter
in accordance with Article I or (ii)(A) the Offer has been terminated in
accordance with Section 1.1(f), (B) all of the conditions set forth in Sections
8.1 and 8.2 have been satisfied (other than those conditions that by their
nature cannot be satisfied other than at the Closing) and (C) Parent and Merger
Sub fail to consummate the Merger within the earlier of (x) two (2) business
days after the date the Closing should have occurred pursuant to Section 2.2 and
(ii) one (1) Business Day before the Termination Date, and the Company stood
ready, willing and able to consummate during such period; or
(d) if
Parent fails to commence the Offer by December 22, 2010 or terminates or makes
any change to the Offer in violation of the terms of this Agreement in any
material respect.
9.4. Termination by
Parent. This
Agreement may be terminated and the Merger and, if applicable, the Offer, may be
abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time by Parent:
(a) if
the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee thereof (i) shall
have made and not withdrawn a Change of Recommendation, (ii) shall have approved
or recommended to the stockholders of the Company an Acquisition Proposal or
(iii) fails (or the Company fails) to include the Company Recommendation in the
Proxy Statement or the Schedule 14D-9; or
(b) if
there has been a breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement
made by the Company in this Agreement, or any such representation and warranty
shall have become untrue after the date of this Agreement, which breach or
inaccuracy (x) if the Offer has been terminated in accordance with Section
1.1(f), would give rise to a failure of any condition set forth in Section
8.2(a) or 8.2(b) or (y) if the Offer shall not have been terminated in
accordance with Section 1.1(f), would give rise to a failure of any Tender Offer
Condition set forth in clauses (3) or (4) set forth in Exhibit A, and in each
case, such breach or condition is not curable or, if curable, is not cured prior
to the earlier of (A) thirty (30) calendar days after written notice thereof is
given by Parent to the Company or (B) two (2) business days prior to the
Termination Date; provided, however, that Parent
may not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9.4(b) if it is in
material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements hereunder and has received notice of such breach from Company and
been provided 10 days to cure such breach and has not cured such breach within
the 10-day period from the date of such notice.
-76-
(c) if
the Environmental Report concludes that the Company is subject to a Material
Environmental Obligation (“MEO”)
and Parent shall have provided written notice to the Company of such
determination on or before January 17, 2011. A MEO shall be an obligation for
the Company to comply with Environmental Laws as in effect and interpreted on
the date hereof that will result in the Company incurring environmental capital
expenditures between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013 (the “Measurement
Period”) plus environmental liabilities as accrued on the Company’s
September 30, 2010 balance sheet included in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 (as defined and interpreted in
accordance with GAAP, except that: (i) where there is a range of reasonably
possible costs and outcomes, the Environmental Consultant
shall determine the most credible cost which shall be the basis for
the calculations hereunder, and (ii) for purposes of whether a cost to be
incurred is estimable, in the opinion of the Environmental Consultant, where it
is more likely than not that the cost will be incurred), such that individually
or in the aggregate, such costs are more than $250 million in excess of the $395
million currently projected by the Company, in the Company’s additional
definitive soliciting materials filed on Schedule 14A with the SEC on November
18, 2010 and the Company’s September 30, 2010 balance sheet included in its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, for such
required expenditures and accruals, taking into account the ability to mitigate
such expenditures and accruals through commercially reasonable operational
adjustments, such as fuel switching or decommissioning of facilities, provided
however, that no more than 25% of the baseload generating capacity can be
decommissioned . Parent shall base its assessment of relevant
environmental capital expenditure requirements and environmental liabilities as
accrued on the Company’s balance sheet on the conclusions of a
written environmental report prepared by a reputable, nationally
recognized environmental consulting firm selected by Parent and reasonably
acceptable to the Company (“Environmental
Consultant”), and which has been provided to the Company for comment at
least three business days in advance of Parent providing any notice to the
Company pursuant to this Section 9.4(c) (the “Environmental
Report”). Company agrees that MACTEC, TRC, or URS are all
acceptable as the Environmental Consultant. No invasive soil or
groundwater sampling shall be permitted in connection with preparation of the
Environmental Report or otherwise under this Agreement.
(d) if
the Pension Termination Liability less the Pension Asset Value exceeds $250
million; provided, that Parent shall not be permitted to terminate the Agreement
pursuant to this Section 9.4(d) unless it has delivered written notice of such
termination to the Company on or prior to January 17, 2011. For
purposes of this Section 9.4(d), “Pension
Termination Liability” means the aggregate PBGC termination liability as
of December 31, 2010 for the Company’s Title IV Company Plans as determined in
accordance with Section 4044 of ERISA and related regulations and the
assumptions set forth on Section 9.4(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter, and
“Pension
Asset Value” means the aggregate fair market value of the assets in the
trusts for the Company’s Title IV Company Plans as of November 30,
2010. For the avoidance of doubt, the first sentence of this Section
shall be deemed to have occurred if the consequences of effecting a
standard termination of the Title IV Company Plans in accordance with Section
4041(b) ERISA, including the cost of purchasing distribution annuities and
paying related administrative costs, requires additional
contributions to the Title IV Company Plans of more than $250 million, in the
aggregate.
-77-
9.5. Effect of Termination and
Abandonment.
(a) In
the event this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Article IX, this Agreement
shall become void and of no effect with no liability to any Person on the part
of any party hereto (or of any of its Representatives or Affiliates); provided, however, and
notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, that (i) except
as otherwise provided herein no such termination shall relieve the Company of
any liability to pay the Termination Fee pursuant to this Section 9.5, (ii)
except as otherwise provided herein, no such termination will relieve any party
hereto of any liability to the other party hereto for any breach of this
Agreement, (iii) no such termination shall affect the approval of the Continuing
Offer by the Board for purposes of Section 203 of the DGCL and such approval
shall remain in full force and effect to the extent the Continuing Offer
continues to constitute a Continuing Offer, and (iv) this Section 9.5 and
Article X shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
(b) In
the event that:
(i) (x)
before obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, this Agreement is terminated
pursuant to Section 9.2(a) (the section relating to the Termination Date),
or Section 9.2(b) (the section relating to failure to receive stockholder
approval) and (y) within eighteen (18) months of such termination the
Company shall have consummated an Acquisition Proposal (provided that for
purposes of this clause (y) the references to “20%” in the definition of
“Acquisition Proposal” shall be deemed to be references to “50%”) as a result of
which the holders of Shares shall be entitled to receive, either directly or
indirectly, consideration (whether cash or otherwise) having an aggregate value
of more than $5.50 per Share;
(ii) this
Agreement is terminated by Parent pursuant to Section 9.4(a) (the section
relating to Parent’s right to terminate for a Change of Recommendation) or by
Parent or the Company pursuant to another provision of Article IX at a time when
Parent had the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to 9.4(a);
or
(iii) this
Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant to Section 9.3(a) (the
section relating to an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to a
Superior Proposal);
-78-
(iv) (x)
before obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, this Agreement is terminated
pursuant to Section 9.2(a) (the section relating to the Termination Date),
or Section 9.2(b) (the section relating to failure to receive stockholder
approval), (y) any Person shall have made or publicly announced a bona fide
Acquisition Proposal after the date of this Agreement but prior to such
termination, and such Acquisition Proposal shall not have been publicly
withdrawn without qualification in a manner that would reasonably be expected to
adversely affect the receipt of the Company Requisite Vote in any material
respect at least ten (10) calendar days prior to, with respect to
Section 9.2(a), the date of termination, or at least five (5) business days
prior to, with respect to a termination pursuant to Section 9.2(b), the
Stockholders Meeting and (z) within eighteen (18) months of such termination the
Company shall have consummated an Acquisition Proposal (whether or not such
Acquisition Proposal is the same Acquisition Proposal referred to in clause (y)
of this Section 9.5(b)(iv)) (provided that for purposes of this clause (z)
the references to “20%” in the definition of “Acquisition Proposal” shall be
deemed to be references to “50%”);
then the
Company shall (A) in the case of clause (i) above, within three (3) business
days after the date on which the Company consummates the Acquisition Proposal
referred to in sub-clause (i)(y), (B) in the case of clause (ii) above, no later
than three (3) business days after the date of such termination, (C) in the case
of clause (iii) above, immediately prior to or concurrently with such
termination, and (D) in the case of clause (iv) above, within three (3) business
days after the date the Company consummates the Acquisition Proposal referred to
in sub-clause (iv)(z); pay Merger Sub or its designee the Termination Fee (as
defined below) by wire transfer of immediately available funds (it being
understood that in no event shall the Company be required to pay the Termination
Fee on more than one occasion). “Termination
Fee” shall mean an amount equal to $16.3 million less any Parent Expenses
previously paid by the Company.
(c) In
the event of termination of this Agreement by (i) either party pursuant to
Section 9.2(b) (or a termination by the Company pursuant to a different section
of Section 9.2 at a time when this Agreement was terminable pursuant to Section
9.2(b)) or (ii) Parent pursuant to Section 9.4(b), then the Company shall
promptly, but in no event later than three (3) business days after being
notified of such by Parent pay Merger Sub or its designee in respect of expenses
incurred by Parent, Merger Sub and their respective Affiliates in connection
with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and as
consideration for entering into this Agreement an amount equal to $5 million
(the “Parent
Expenses”) by wire transfer of same day funds.
(d) The
parties acknowledge that the agreements contained in Section 9.5 are an
integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and that,
without these agreements, the parties would not enter into this Agreement;
accordingly, if the Company fails to promptly pay the amount due pursuant to
Section 9.5(b) or Section 9.5(c) and, in order to obtain such payment,
Parent or Merger Sub commences a suit that results in a judgment against the
Company for the amount set forth in Section 9.5(b) or Section 9.5(c) or any
portion thereof, the Company shall pay to Parent or Merger Sub its costs and
expenses (including attorneys’ fees) in connection with such suit, together with
interest on such amount or portion thereof at the prime rate of Citibank N.A. in
effect on the date such payment was required to be made through the date of
payment.
-79-
ARTICLE X
Miscellaneous and
General
10.1. Survival. This
Article X and the agreements of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub contained in
Article V and Sections 7.9 (Employee Benefits), 7.10 (Expenses), 7.11
(Indemnification; Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance) and 7.19 (Confidentiality)
shall survive the consummation of the Merger. This Article X and the
agreements of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub contained in Section 1.1(f)
(Offer Termination), Section 1.1(h) (Continuation of the Offer), the last
sentence of Section 1.2(b) (Stockholder Information), Section 7.10
(Expenses), clauses (g) and (h) of Section 7.5 (Filings; Reasonable Best
Efforts; Other Actions; Notification), Section 7.12 (Takeover Statutes), Section
7.13 (Parent Vote); Section 7.21 (Rights Plan) and Section 9.5 (Effect of
Termination and Abandonment) shall survive the termination of this
Agreement. All other representations, warranties, covenants and
agreements in this Agreement shall not survive the consummation of the Merger or
the termination of this Agreement.
10.2. Modification or
Amendment. Subject
to the provisions of the applicable Laws, at any time prior to the Effective
Time, whether before or after adoption of this Agreement by stockholders of
either Constituent Corporation, the parties hereto may modify or amend this
Agreement, by written agreement executed and delivered by duly authorized
officers of the respective parties; provided that after
the consummation of the Offer Closing but prior to the Effective Time, this
Agreement may not be amended in a manner that would adversely affect the right
of the Company’s stockholders to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration;
provided, further that if any
such amendment or waiver made after the date the Company Requisite Vote is
obtained shall by applicable Law or the rules and regulations of NYSE require
further approval of the stockholders of the Company, the effectiveness of such
amendment or waiver shall be subject to the approval of the stockholders of the
Company.
10.3. Waiver of
Conditions. Except
as otherwise set forth herein, the Tender Offer Conditions with respect to
Parent and Merger Sub and the conditions to each of the parties’ obligations to
consummate the Merger are for the benefit of such applicable party and may be
waived by such applicable party in whole or in part to the extent permitted by
applicable Laws
10.4. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each such counterpart
being deemed to be an original instrument, and all such counterparts shall
together constitute one and the same agreement.
-80-
10.5. GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE;
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL; SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE.
(a) THIS
AGREEMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE MADE IN AND IN ALL RESPECTS SHALL BE
INTERPRETED, CONSTRUED AND GOVERNED BY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF THE
STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES
THEREOF. The parties hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive
personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or to
the extent such Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any federal
court located in the State of Delaware (the “Chosen
Courts”) solely in respect of the interpretation and enforcement of the
provisions of this Agreement and of the documents referred to in this Agreement,
and in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby, and hereby waive, and
agree not to assert, as a defense in any action, suit or proceeding for the
interpretation or enforcement hereof or of any such document, that it is not
subject thereto or that such action, suit or proceeding may not be brought or is
not maintainable in the Chosen Courts or that the Chosen Courts are an
inconvenient forum or that the venue thereof may not be appropriate, or that
this Agreement or any such document may not be enforced in or by such Chosen
Courts, and the parties hereto irrevocably agree that all claims relating to
such action, suit or proceeding shall be heard and determined in the Chosen
Courts. The parties hereby consent to and grant any such Chosen Court
jurisdiction over the person of such parties and, to the extent permitted by
Law, over the subject matter of such dispute and agree that mailing of process
or other papers in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding in the
manner provided in Section 10.6 or in such other manner as may be permitted
by law shall be valid, effective and sufficient service thereof.
(b) EACH
PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS
AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE
EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT SUCH
PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, OR THE
TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY CERTIFIES AND
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (i) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER
PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT,
IN THE EVENT OF SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING
WAIVER, (ii) EACH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THIS WAIVER, (iii) EACH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND
(iv) EACH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG
OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS
SECTION 10.5.
(c) The
parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if
available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that the
parties hereto do not perform the provisions of this Agreement in accordance
with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions. The
parties acknowledge and agree that each party hereto shall be entitled to an
injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches
of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof,
this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or
in equity. Without limitation of the foregoing and notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the parties hereby further
acknowledge and agree that prior to the Closing, the Company shall be entitled
to specific performance to prevent or cure breaches of this Agreement by Parent
or Merger Sub and/or to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this
Agreement, including to cause Parent and/or Merger Sub to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby, including to consummate the Offer and/or to
effect the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2, on the terms and subject to
the conditions in this Agreement. Each party hereto agrees that it
will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance and other
equitable relief on the basis that (x) the other party has an adequate remedy at
law or (y) an award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any
reason at law or equity.
-81-
(d) The
parties further agree that (x) the seeking of the remedies provided for in
Section 10.5(c) by any party shall not in any respect constitute a waiver
by such party of its right to seek any other form of relief that may be
available to such party under this Agreement, including under Section 9.5, in
the event that this Agreement has been terminated or in the event that the
remedies provided for in Section 10.5(c) are not available or otherwise are
not granted, and (y) nothing set forth in this Agreement shall require any
party to institute any proceeding for (or limit any party’s right to institute
any proceeding for) specific performance under Section 10.5(c) prior or as
a condition to exercising any termination right under Article IX (and pursuing
damages after such termination, which the parties acknowledge and agree shall
not be limited to reimbursement of expenses or out-of-pocket costs, and may
include to the extent proven the benefit of the bargain lost by a party’s
stockholders (taking into consideration relevant matters, including the
transaction premium, other transaction opportunities and the time value of
money)), nor shall the commencement of any Legal Proceeding pursuant to
Section 10.5(c) or anything set forth in this Section 10.5(d) restrict
or limit any party’s right to terminate this Agreement in accordance with the
terms of Article IX or pursue any other remedies under this Agreement that may
be available then or thereafter.
10.6. Notices. Any
notice, request, instruction or other document to be given hereunder by any
party to the others shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by
registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, by facsimile or by overnight
courier:
If to
Parent or Merger Sub:
IEP
Merger Sub Inc.
c/o Icahn
Enterprises Holdings L.P.
000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: Deputy
General Counsel
Fax.: (000)
000-0000
Icahn
Enterprises Holdings L.P.
000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: Chief
Financial Officer
Fax.: (000)
000-0000
-82-
If to the
Company:
Dynegy
Inc.
0000
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: General
Counsel
Fax:
(000) 000-0000
with a
copy to
Xxxxxxxx
& Xxxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fax: (000)
000-0000
or to
such other persons or addresses as may be designated in writing by the party to
receive such notice as provided above. Any notice, request,
instruction or other document given as provided above shall be deemed given to
the receiving party upon actual receipt, if delivered personally; three (3)
business days after deposit in the mail, if sent by registered or certified
mail; upon confirmation of successful transmission if sent by facsimile and
received by 5:00 p.m. New York time on a business day (otherwise the next
business day) (provided that if given by facsimile such notice, request,
instruction or other document shall be followed up within one (1) business day
by dispatch pursuant to one of the other methods described herein); or on the
next business day after deposit with an overnight courier, if sent by an
overnight courier.
10.7. Entire
Agreement. This
Agreement (including any schedules, annexes and exhibits hereto), the Company
Disclosure Letter, the Parent Disclosure Letter the Guarantee and the Support
Agreement constitute the entire agreement, and supersede all other prior
agreements, understandings, representations and warranties both written and
oral, among the parties, with respect to the subject matter
hereof. EACH PARTY HERETO AGREES THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARENT AND MERGER SUB NOR
THE COMPANY MAKES ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, AND EACH HEREBY
DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR AS TO
THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY OTHER INFORMATION, MADE BY, OR MADE
AVAILABLE BY, ITSELF OR ANY OF ITS REPRESENTATIVES, WITH RESPECT TO, OR IN
CONNECTION WITH, THE NEGOTIATION, EXECUTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE
TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, NOTWITHSTANDING THE DELIVERY OR DISCLOSURE TO
THE OTHER OR THE OTHER’S REPRESENTATIVES OF ANY DOCUMENTATION OR OTHER
INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO ANY ONE OR MORE OF THE FOREGOING.
-83-
10.8. No Third Party
Beneficiaries. Subject
to Section 10.5(d), except (i) as
provided in Section 7.11 (Indemnification; Directors’ and Officers’
Insurance), (ii) only with respect to stockholders and only after the Effective
Time, for the provisions set forth in Article V and (iii) to the extent
permitted by applicable Laws, Parent and the Company hereby agree that their
respective representations, warranties and covenants set forth herein are solely
for the benefit of the other party hereto, in accordance with and subject to the
terms of this Agreement, and this Agreement is not intended to, and does not,
confer upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies
hereunder, including the right to rely upon the representations and warranties
set forth herein. The parties hereto further agree that the rights of
third party beneficiaries under Section 7.11 shall not arise unless and until
the Acceleration Time occurs. The representations and warranties in
this Agreement are the product of negotiations among the parties hereto and are
for the sole benefit of the parties hereto. Any inaccuracies in such
representations and warranties are subject to waiver by the parties hereto in
accordance with Section 10.3 without notice or liability to any other
Person. In some instances, the representations and warranties in this
Agreement may represent an allocation among the parties hereto of risks
associated with particular matters regardless of the knowledge of any of the
parties hereto. Consequently, Persons other than the parties hereto
may not rely upon the representations and warranties in this Agreement as
characterizations of actual facts or circumstances as of the date of this
Agreement or as of any other date.
10.9. Obligations of Parent and of
the Company. Whenever
this Agreement requires a Subsidiary of Parent to take any action, such
requirement shall be deemed to include an undertaking on the part of Parent to
cause such Subsidiary to take such action. Whenever this Agreement
requires a Subsidiary of the Company to take any action, such requirement shall
be deemed to include an undertaking on the part of the Company to cause such
Subsidiary to take such action and, after the Effective Time, on the part of the
Surviving Corporation to cause such Subsidiary to take such action.
10.10. Transfer
Taxes. All
transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other similar Taxes
and fees (including penalties and interest) incurred in connection with the
Merger shall be paid by the Surviving Corporation when due.
10.11. Definitions. Each
of the terms set forth in Annex A is
defined in the Section of this Agreement set forth opposite such
term.
10.12. Severability. The
provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed severable and the invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision shall not affect the validity or
enforceability of the other provisions hereof. If any provision of
this Agreement, or the application thereof to any Person or any circumstance, is
invalid or unenforceable, (a) a suitable and equitable provision shall be
substituted therefor in order to carry out, so far as may be valid and
enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid or unenforceable provision
and (b) the remainder of this Agreement and the application of such
provision to other Persons or circumstances shall not be affected by such
invalidity or unenforceability, nor shall such invalidity or unenforceability
affect the validity or enforceability of such provision, or the application
thereof, in any other jurisdiction.
-84-
10.13. Interpretation;
Construction. (a) The
table of contents and headings herein are for convenience of reference only, do
not constitute part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or
otherwise affect any of the provisions hereof. Where a reference in
this Agreement is made to a Section or Exhibit, such reference shall be to a
Section of or Exhibit to this Agreement unless otherwise
indicated. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including”
are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“without limitation.” All pronouns and all variations thereof shall
be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as
the identity of the Person may require. Where a reference in this
Agreement is made to any agreement (including this Agreement), contract, statute
or regulation, such references are to, except as context may otherwise require,
the agreement, contract, statute or regulation as amended, modified,
supplemented, restated or replaced from time to time (in the case of an
agreement or contract, to the extent permitted by the terms thereof); and to any
section of any statute or regulation including any successor to the section and,
in the case of any statute, any rules or regulations promulgated
thereunder. All references to “dollars” or “$” in this Agreement are
to United States dollars.
(a) The
parties have participated jointly in negotiating and drafting this
Agreement. In the event that an ambiguity or a question of intent or
interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly
by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or
disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this
Agreement.
(b) Each
party hereto has or may have set forth information in its respective Disclosure
Letter in a section thereof that corresponds to the section of this Agreement to
which it relates. The fact that any item of information is disclosed
in a Disclosure Letter to this Agreement shall not be construed to mean that
such information is required to be disclosed by this Agreement.
10.14. Assignment. This
Agreement shall not be assignable by operation of law or otherwise without the
written consent of each of the parties hereto; provided, however, that prior
to the mailing of the Offer Documents to the Company’s stockholders, Parent may
designate, by written notice to the Company, another wholly owned direct or
indirect Subsidiary to be a Constituent Corporation and serve as purchaser
pursuant to the Offer in lieu of Merger Sub, in which event all references
herein to Merger Sub shall be deemed references to such other Subsidiary, except
that all representations and warranties made herein with respect to Merger Sub
as of the date of this Agreement shall be deemed representations and warranties
made with respect to such other Subsidiary as of the date of such designation;
provided that
any such designation shall not impede or delay the consummation of the Offer,
the Merger or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or otherwise
adversely affect the ability of holders of Shares to receive the aggregate Offer
Price and/or Per Share Merger Consideration. Any purported assignment
in violation of this Agreement is void.
-85-
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the duly
authorized officers of the parties hereto as of the date first written
above.
DYNEGY
INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx | |
Name:
|
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx | |
Title:
|
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | |
IEH
MERGER SUB LLC
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name:
|
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Title:
|
President | |
IEP
MERGER SUB INC.
|
||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name:
|
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Title:
|
President |
-86-
ANNEX A
DEFINED
TERMS
Terms
|
Section
|
|
2011
Bonus Payment Date
|
7.9(c)
|
|
Acceleration
Time
|
5.3(c)
|
|
Acquisition
Proposal
|
7.2(d)(i)
|
|
Affected
Employees
|
7.9(a)
|
|
Affiliate
|
6.1(a)(i)
|
|
Affiliated
Shares
|
5.1(a)
|
|
Agreement
|
Preamble
|
|
Alternative
Acquisition Agreement
|
7.2(e)(ii)
|
|
Antitrust
Law
|
7.5(d)(i)
|
|
Bankruptcy
and Equity Exception
|
6.1(c)(i)
|
|
business
day
|
1.1(d)
|
|
Bylaws
|
3.2
|
|
Casualty
Loss
|
7.15
|
|
Certificate
|
5.1(a)
|
|
Change
of Recommendation
|
7.2(e)(ii)
|
|
Charter
|
3.1
|
|
Chosen
Courts
|
10.5(a)
|
|
Closing
|
2.2
|
|
Closing
Date
|
2.2
|
|
Code
|
1.1(g))
|
|
Commodity
Risk Policy
|
6.1(s)
|
|
Common
Stock
|
Recitals
|
|
Company
|
Preamble
|
|
Company
Actions
|
7.2(e)(ii)
|
|
Company
Disclosure Letter
|
6.1
|
|
Company
Employees
|
6.1(h)(i)
|
|
Company
Equity Awards
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
|
Company
Financial Statements
|
6.1(e)(ii)
|
|
Company
Intellectual Property
|
6.1(o)(i)
|
|
Company
Joint Venture
|
6.1(b)(ii)
|
|
Company
Material Adverse Effect
|
6.1(a)(iv)
|
|
Company
Material Contracts
|
6.1(r)
|
|
Company
Performance Awards
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
|
Company
Plans
|
6.1(h)(i)
|
|
Company
Recommendation
|
6.1(c)(ii)
|
|
Company
Reports
|
6.1(e)(i)
|
|
Company
Required Governmental Approvals
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
Company
Requisite Vote
|
6.1(c)(i)
|
|
Company
Restricted Stock
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
Annex
A-1
Company
SEC Reports
|
6.1(e)(i)
|
|
Company
Stock Options
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
|
Company
Trading Guidelines
|
6.1(s)
|
|
Constituent
Corporations
|
Preamble
|
|
Continuing
Conditions
|
1.1(h)
|
|
Continuing
Employees
|
7.9(c)
|
|
Continuing
Offer
|
1.1(h)
|
|
Credit
Agreement
|
6.1(b)(v)
|
|
Current
Assets
|
6.1(n)(ii)
|
|
D&O
Insurance
|
7.11(b)
|
|
Debt
Financing
|
7.14
|
|
Delaware
Certificate of Merger
|
2.3
|
|
DGCL
|
1.4(a)
|
|
Dissenting
Shares
|
5.1(a)
|
|
Dissenting
Stockholders
|
5.1(a)
|
|
DTC
|
5.2(c)
|
|
DTC
Payment
|
5.2(c)
|
|
Effective
Time
|
2.3
|
|
Environmental
Claim
|
6.1(l)(vii)(A)
|
|
Environmental
Laws
|
6.1(l)(vii)(B)
|
|
Environmental
Report
|
9.4(c)
|
|
Equity
Interests
|
7.1(a)(ii)
|
|
ERISA
|
6.1(h)(i)
|
|
ERISA
Affiliate
|
6.1(h)(i)
|
|
Evaluation
Material
|
7.6
|
|
Exchange
Act
|
Recitals
|
|
Exchange
Fund
|
5.2(a)
|
|
Excluded
Shares
|
5.1(a)
|
|
Existing
Directors
|
1.3(a)
|
|
Expiration
Date
|
1.1(d)
|
|
Fairness
Opinions
|
6.1(c)(ii)
|
|
FCC
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
FCC
Pre-Approvals
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
FCPA
|
6.1(i)(v)
|
|
FERC
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
Final
Order
|
5.2(e)
|
|
FPA
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
GAAP
|
6.1(e)(ii)
|
|
Go-Shop
Period
|
7.2(a)
|
|
Governmental
Approval Entity
|
7.5(d)(ii)
|
|
Governmental
Entity
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
Guarantee
|
Recitals
|
|
Guarantor
|
Recitals
|
|
Guarantor
SEC Reports
|
6.2(l)
|
|
Hazardous
Materials
|
6.1(l)(vii)(C)
|
Annex
A-2
HSR
Act
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
Indebtedness
|
6.1(q)(ii)
|
|
Indemnified
Parties
|
7.11(a)
|
|
Independent
Director Committee
|
1.3(a)
|
|
Independent
Director Committee Actions
|
1.3(b)
|
|
Independent
Directors
|
1.3(a)
|
|
Information
Statement
|
1.3(c)
|
|
Intellectual
Property
|
6.1(o)(iv)(A)
|
|
Knowledge
|
6.1(g)(iv)
|
|
Known
|
6.1(g)(iv)
|
|
Law
|
5.2(e)
|
|
Laws
|
5.2(e)
|
|
Leased
Real Property
|
6.1(q)(i)
|
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
6.1(g)(i)
|
|
Lien
|
6.1(b)(ii)
|
|
MEO
|
9.4(c)
|
|
Merger
|
Recitals
|
|
Merger
Sub
|
Preamble
|
|
Minimum
Condition
|
Exhibit
A
|
|
No-Shop
Period Start Date
|
7.2(b)
|
|
NSR
Matters
|
6.1(l)(vii)(D)
|
|
NYPSC
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
NYSE
|
1.1(d)
|
|
Offer
|
Recitals
|
|
Offer
Closing
|
1.1(e)
|
|
Offer
Closing Date
|
1.1(e)
|
|
Offer
Documents
|
1.1(c)
|
|
Offer
Price
|
Recitals
|
|
Order
|
6.1(d)(ii)
|
|
Other
Real Property
|
6.1(q)(i)
|
|
Owned
Real Property
|
6.1(q)(i)
|
|
Parent
|
Preamble
|
|
Parent
Disclosure Letter
|
6.2
|
|
Parent
Expenses
|
9.5(c)
|
|
Parent
Required Governmental Approvals
|
6.2(c)(i)
|
|
Parent
Shares
|
6.2(h)
|
|
Paying
Agent
|
5.2(a)
|
|
PBGC
|
6.1(h)(ii)
|
|
Pension
Asset Value
|
9.4(d)
|
|
Pension
Termination Liability
|
9.4(d)
|
|
Per
Share Merger Consideration
|
5.1(a)
|
|
Permit
|
6.1(d)(ii)
|
|
Permitted
Liens
|
6.1(q)(i)
|
|
Person
|
5.2(e)
|
|
Phantom
Stock Units
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
Annex
A-3
Preferred
Shares
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
|
Prior
Agreement
|
6.1(a)(iv)(D)
|
|
Prior
Application
|
7.5(h)
|
|
Promissory
Note
|
1.4(c)
|
|
Proxy
Statement
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
|
Purchase
Date
|
1.4(b)
|
|
Real
Property
|
6.1(q)(i)
|
|
Regulatory
Condition
|
Exhibit
A
|
|
Release
|
6.1(l)(vii)(D)
|
|
Releasing
Persons
|
7.13(b)
|
|
Representative
|
7.2(a)
|
|
Right
|
Recitals
|
|
Rights
Agreement
|
Recitals
|
|
Schedule
14D-9
|
1.2(a)
|
|
Schedule
TO
|
1.1(c)
|
|
SEC
|
1.1(c)
|
|
Securities
Act
|
6.1(a)(i),
1.4(d)
|
|
Securities
Laws
|
1.1(c)
|
|
Shares
|
Recitals
|
|
Significant
Subsidiary
|
6.1(a)(iii)
|
|
Special
Committee
|
Recitals
|
|
Stock
Plans
|
6.1(b)(i)
|
|
Stockholder
Consent
|
7.4(b)
|
|
Stockholders
Meeting
|
7.4(c)
|
|
Subsequent
Transaction
|
7.13(b)
|
|
Subsidiary
|
6.1(a)(ii)
|
|
Sufficient
Amount
|
6.2(e)
|
|
Superior
Proposal
|
7.2(d)(ii)
|
|
Support
Agreement
|
Recitals
|
|
Support
Party
|
7.13(a)
|
|
Surviving
Corporation
|
2.1
|
|
Takeover
Statute
|
6.1(j)
|
|
Tax
|
6.1(m)(vii)(A)
|
|
Tax
Return
|
6.1(m)(vii)(B)
|
|
Tender
Offer Conditions
|
1.1(a)
|
|
Tender
Termination
|
1.1(f)
|
|
Termination
Date
|
9.2
|
|
Termination
Fee
|
9.5(b)
|
|
Third
Party Investment
|
7.6
|
|
Title
IV Company Plan
|
6.1(h)(i)
|
|
Top-Up
Closing
|
1.4(c)
|
|
Top-Up
Option
|
1.4(a)
|
|
Top-Up
Option Shares
|
1.4(a)
|
|
Trade
Secrets
|
6.1(o)(iv)(B)
|
|
Transfer
|
7.13(a)
|
Annex
A-4
Violation
|
6.1(d)(ii)
|
|
Voting
Termination Date
|
7.13(e)
|
|
Written
Consent Information Statement
|
6.1(d)(i)
|
Annex
A-5
EXHIBIT
A
CONDITIONS OF THE
OFFER
Notwithstanding
any other provisions of the Offer, Parent shall not be required to accept for
payment or, subject to any applicable rules and regulations of the SEC,
including Rule 14e-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act (relating to Parent’s
obligation to pay for or return tendered Shares promptly after termination or
withdrawal of the Offer), pay for any Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer (and
not theretofore accepted for payment or paid for) if (i) there shall not be
validly tendered and not properly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date for the
Offer that number of Shares which, when added to any Shares already owned by
Parent, its Subsidiaries and the Support Parties (and for this purpose, Parent,
its Subsidiaries and the Support Parties shall be deemed to own Shares that are
subject to options to purchase Shares to the extent such options have been
irrevocably exercised and paid for by any of them prior to the Expiration Date),
represents at least a majority of the outstanding Shares on a fully diluted
basis as of the Expiration Date of the Offer (assuming the issuance of all
Shares that may be issued upon the vesting of outstanding Company Restricted
Stock, plus Shares issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding Company Stock
Options, warrants and other rights to purchase Shares with an exercise price per
Share less than the Offer Price) (such condition, the “Minimum
Condition”), or (ii) at any time on or after the date of the
commencement of the Offer and prior to the Expiration Date, any of the following
events shall occur and be continuing:
(1) An
Order by any Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction, restraining, or
rendering illegal the consummation of the Offer or the Merger shall have been
issued and be continuing in effect;
(2) the
Agreement shall have been terminated by the Company, Merger Sub or Parent in
accordance with its terms;
(3) (i) the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in the Agreement other
than those referenced in clause (ii) below (without giving effect to any
materiality or Company Material Adverse Effect qualifications set forth therein)
shall not be true and correct as of the date of the Agreement and as of the
Expiration Date as though made on and as of such date and time (except to the
extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an
earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall, subject to
the qualifications below, not be true and correct as of such earlier date)
except where the failures of any such representations and warranties to be so
not true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be
expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; or (ii) the representations
and warranties set forth in (x) Section 6.1(b)(i), Section 6.1(c) and
Section 6.1(k) of the Agreement shall not be true and correct in all respects as
of the date of the Agreement and as of the Expiration Date as though made on and
as of such date and time (except to the extent that any such representation and
warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such
representation and warranty shall not be true and correct as of such earlier
date and except, with respect to the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth in Section 6.1(b)(i) of the Agreement, for such inaccuracies
as are de minimis
relative to Section 6.1(b)(i) taken as a whole) or
(y) Section 6.1(f)(i) of the Agreement shall not be true and correct
without disregarding the Company Material Adverse Effect qualification contained
therein as of the date of the Agreement and as of the Expiration Date as though
made on and as of such date and time (except to the extent that any such
representation and warranty expressly speaks of an earlier date, in which case
such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier
date);
Ex.
A-1
(4) the
Company shall have failed to perform in all material respects all obligations
required to be performed by it under the Agreement at or prior to the Expiration
Date; or
(5) Parent
shall not have received a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by a
senior executive officer of the Company stating
that (i) the Company’s representations and warranties are true and correct in
the manner specified in clause (3) of this Exhibit A, and (ii)
the Company has performed in all material respects all obligations required to
be performed by it under the Agreement prior to the Expiration
Date;
(6) (i)
The waiting period applicable to the consummation of the Offer under the HSR Act
shall not have expired or been terminated, (ii) the approval of the FERC under
Section 203 of the FPA shall not have been received, or (iii) the approval, or a
determination that no approval is required, of the NYPSC under the New York
Public Service Law, as amended, shall not have been received with respect to the
consummation of the Offer and the Merger (collectively, the “Regulatory
Condition”);
The
foregoing conditions shall be for the benefit of Parent and may be asserted by
Parent regardless of the circumstances (including any action or inaction by
Parent or Merger Sub, other than action or inaction in breach of the Agreement)
giving rise to any such conditions and may be waived by Parent in whole or in
part at any time and from time to time, in each case except for the Minimum
Condition and the Regulatory Condition, in the exercise of the reasonable good
faith judgment of Parent and subject to the terms of the Agreement, and the
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. The failure by Parent at
any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of
any such right and each such right may be deemed an ongoing right which may be
asserted at any time and from time to time.
Ex.
A-2
EXHIBIT
A-2
CONDITIONS
OF THE CONTINUING OFFER
Notwithstanding
any other provisions of the Continuing Offer, Parent shall not be required to
accept for payment or, subject to any applicable rules and regulations of the
SEC, including Rule 14e-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act (relating to
Parent’s obligation to pay for or return tendered Shares promptly after
termination or withdrawal of the Continuing Offer), pay for any Shares tendered
pursuant to the Continuing Offer (and not theretofore accepted for payment or
paid for) if (i) there shall not be validly tendered and not properly withdrawn
prior to the expiration date for the Continuing Offer that number of Shares
which, when added to any Shares already owned by Parent, its Subsidiaries and
the Support Parties (and for this purpose, Parent, its Subsidiaries and the
Support Parties shall be deemed to own Shares that are subject to options to
purchase Shares to the extent such options have been irrevocably exercised and
paid for by any of them prior to the expiration date), represents at least a
majority of the outstanding Shares on a fully diluted basis as of the expiration
date of the Continuing Offer (assuming the issuance of all Shares that may be
issued upon the vesting of outstanding Company Restricted Stock, plus Shares
issuable upon the exercise of all outstanding Company Stock Options, warrants
and other rights to purchase Shares with an exercise price per Share less than
the Offer Price) (such condition, the “Continuing
Minimum Condition”), or (ii) at any time on or after the date of the
commencement of the Continuing Offer and prior to the expiration date, any of
the following events shall occur and be continuing:
(1) An
Order by any Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction, restraining, or
rendering illegal the consummation of the Continuing Offer shall have been
issued and be continuing in effect;
(2) (i)
The waiting period applicable to the consummation of the Continuing Offer under
the HSR Act shall not have expired or been terminated, (ii) the approval of the
FERC under Section 203 of the FPA shall not have been received, or (iii) the
approval, or a determination that no approval is required, of the NYPSC under
the New York Public Service Law, as amended, shall not have been received with
respect: (A) to the consummation of the Continuing Offer and (B) if so
determined by Parent, the transaction contemplated in clauses (x) or (y) of
clause (v) of the definition of Qualifying Offer in the Rights
Agreement.
The
foregoing conditions shall be for the benefit of Parent and may be asserted by
Parent regardless of the circumstances (including any action or inaction by
Parent or Merger Sub, other than action or inaction in breach of the Agreement)
giving rise to any such conditions and may be waived by Parent in whole or in
part at any time and from time to time, in each case except for the Minimum
Condition and the Regulatory Condition, in the exercise of the reasonable good
faith judgment of Parent and subject to the terms of the Agreement, and the
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. The failure by Parent at
any time to exercise any of the foregoing rights shall not be deemed a waiver of
any such right and each such right may be deemed an ongoing right which may be
asserted at any time and from time to time.
Ex.
A-2-1
EXHIBIT
B
CERTIFICATE
OF INCORPORATION
OF
DYNEGY
INC.
ARTICLE
ONE
NAME
The name
of the corporation is Dynegy Inc. (hereinafter called the “Corporation”).
ARTICLE
TWO
REGISTERED OFFICE AND
AGENT
The
address of the Corporation’s registered office in the state of Delaware is 1209
Orange Street, City of Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
00000. The name of its registered agent at such address is The
Corporation Trust Company.
ARTICLE
THREE
PURPOSE
The
purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which
corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware (the “DGCL”).
ARTICLE
FOUR
CAPITAL
STOCK
Section
1. Authorized Shares.
The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation has the
authority to issue is one hundred ten million (110,000,000) consisting of one
hundred million (100,000,000) shares of common stock, all with a par value of
one cent ($0.01) per share (the “Common Stock”), and
ten million (10,000,000) shares of preferred stock, all with a par value of one
cent ($0.01) per share (the “Preferred Stock”).
The voting powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions thereof, in respect of the classes of stock of the Corporation are
as follows:
Section
2. Preferred
Stock
(a) The
Preferred Stock of the Corporation may be issued from time to time in one or
more series of any number of shares, provided that the aggregate number of
shares issued and not canceled in any and all such series shall not exceed the
total number of shares of Preferred Stock hereinabove authorized.
(b) Authority
is hereby vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”)
from time to time to authorize the issuance of one or more series of Preferred
Stock and, in connection with the authorization of such series, to fix by
resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of shares thereof the
characteristics of each such series including, without limitation, the
following:
|
(i)
|
the
maximum number of shares to constitute such series, which may subsequently
be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of that
series then outstanding) by resolution of the Board of Directors, the
distinctive designation thereof and the stated value thereof if different
than the par value thereof;
|
|
(ii)
|
whether
the shares of such series shall have voting powers, full or limited, or no
voting powers, and if any, the terms of such voting
powers;
|
|
(iii)
|
the
dividend rate, if any, on the shares of such series, the conditions and
dates upon which such dividends shall be payable, the preference or
relation which such dividends shall bear to the dividends payable on any
other class or classes or on any other series of capital stock and whether
such dividend shall be cumulative or
noncumulative;
|
|
(iv)
|
whether
the shares of such series shall be subject to redemption by the
Corporation, and, if made subject to redemption, the times, prices and
other terms, limitations, restrictions or conditions of such
redemption;
|
|
(v)
|
the
relative amounts, and the relative rights or preference, if any, of
payment in respect of shares of such series, which the holders of shares
of such series shall be entitled to receive upon the liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up of the
Corporation;
|
|
(vi)
|
whether
or not the shares of such series shall be subject to the operation of a
retirement or sinking fund and, if so, the extent to and manner in which
any such retirement or sinking fund shall be applied to the purchase or
redemption of the shares of such series for retirement or to other
corporate purposes and the terms and provisions relative to the operation
thereof;
|
|
(vii)
|
whether
or not the shares of such series shall be convertible into, or
exchangeable for, shares of any other class, classes or series, or other
securities of the Corporation, and if so convertible or exchangeable, the
price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the
method, if any, of adjusting same;
|
2
|
(viii)
|
the
limitations and restrictions, if any, to be effective while any shares of
such series are outstanding upon the payment of dividends or the making of
other distributions on, and upon the purchase, redemption or other
acquisition by the Corporation of, the Common Stock (as defined above) or
any other class or classes of stock of the Corporation ranking junior to
the shares of such series either as to dividends or upon liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up;
|
|
(ix)
|
the
conditions or restrictions, if any, upon the creation of indebtedness of
the Corporation or upon the issuance of any additional stock (including
additional shares of such series or of any other series or of any other
class) ranking on a parity with or prior to the shares of such series as
to dividends or distributions of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding-up; and
|
|
(x)
|
any
other preference and relative, participating, optional or other special
rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as
shall not be inconsistent with applicable law, this Certificate of
Incorporation (this “Certificate”)
or any resolution of the Board of Directors pursuant
hereto.
|
Section
3. Common
Stock
(a) Unless
expressly provided by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in fixing the
voting rights of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power for the
election of directors and for all other purposes, each holder of record of
shares of Common Stock being entitled to one vote for each share of such stock
standing in his name on the books of the Corporation. No holder of
shares of Common Stock of the Corporation shall have the right to cumulate
votes.
(b) Subject
to the prior rights of the holders of Preferred Stock now or hereafter granted
pursuant to this Certificate and applicable law, the holders of Common Stock
shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Board of Directors,
out of funds legally available for that purpose, dividends payable either in
cash, stock or otherwise and other distributions, whether in respect of
liquidation or dissolution (voluntary or involuntary) or otherwise.
(c) In
the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation,
either voluntary or involuntary, after payment shall have been made in full to
the holders of Preferred Stock of any amounts to which they may be entitled and
subject to the rights of the holders of Preferred Stock now or hereafter granted
pursuant to this Certificate, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled, to
the exclusion of the holders of Preferred Stock of any and all series, to share,
ratably, according to the number of shares of Common Stock held by them, in all
remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its
stockholders.
3
ARTICLE
FIVE
[RESERVED]
ARTICLE
SIX
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Section
1. Election. Elections
of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws shall so
provide.
Section
2. Number. The
number of directors which constitute the entire Board of Directors shall be
designed by, or in the manner provided in, the Bylaws.
ARTICLE
SEVEN
BYLAW
AMENDMENTS
Section
1. Amendments by the Board of
Directors. Subject to the rights of stockholders pursuant to
Article Seven, Section 2 of this Certificate to propose the adoption, amendment
or repeal and/or to adopt, amend, and repeal from time to time Bylaws made by
the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may make, adopt, amend, and
repeal from time to time the Bylaws and make from time to time new Bylaws of the
Corporation.
Section
2. Amendments by the
Stockholders. The Stockholders of the Corporation may, upon
the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the issued and
outstanding shares of voting stock entitled to vote thereon (i) adopt, amend or
repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation, including but not limited to, those made
by the Board of Directors or (ii) make new Bylaws.
ARTICLE
EIGHT
SECTION
203
The
Corporation expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
ARTICLE
NINE
LIMITATION OF
LIABILITY
To the
fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it now exists or may hereafter be
amended, no director of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or
its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a
director. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph shall not
adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation
existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
The
rights conferred on any director by this Article Nine shall not be exclusive of
any other rights which any director may have or hereafter acquire under law,
this Certificate, the Bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or
otherwise. This Article Nine shall not limit the right of the
Corporation, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to
indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than the directors of the
Corporation.
4
ARTICLE
TEN
AMENDMENT
The
Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision
contained in this Certificate, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by
statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject
to this reservation. To be effective, any amendment, alteration,
change or repeal made to this Certificate must be approved by the affirmative
vote of the holders of at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares
of voting stock entitled to vote.
ARTICLE
ELEVEN
NOTICES
All
notices referred to herein shall be in writing or electronic transmission, shall
be delivered personally, by courier, facsimile, electronic transmission or by
first class mail, postage prepaid, and shall be deemed to have been given when
so delivered, sent, transmitted or mailed to the Corporation at its principal
executive offices and to any stockholder at such holder’s address as it appears
in the stock records of the Corporation (unless otherwise specified in a written
notice to the Corporation by such holder).
5